Love is a Battlefield
by Seriphia
Summary: Woodland elves live secluded lives in their own kingdom of Liones. So imagine Princess Elizabeth's surprise when she falls into the lap (literally) of a brave adventurer and whisked away to unknown lands. Political intrigue and conflict between races may spoil some of the fun, sinful times here at the Boar Hat, but the Sins have a knack at bringing it back! Drink up my lovelies!
1. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**Heeey guys! My Luv, fanfictionlove2014 brought to my attention the poor amount of Seven Deadly Sins fictions out there with the delicious M rating—so I shall do my part, just as she is doing hers. IT'S HER FIRST FANFIC GUYS! CHECK IT OUT!**

 **Oh, and btw, please consider that I have only watched the first 24 episodes (no manga atm), so I think I will create an alternative reality here so that the pressure of staying canon doesn't rob me of the journey this story might take me... Enjoy!**

 **Rated M**

 **M is for MATURE, people.**

 **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob* **

Curiosity Killed the Cat

Ever since she could remember, Elizabeth had been intrigued with Fairykind. They seemed so graceful, so beautiful. Perhaps it was simply because it was the only other race her father allowed in his kingdom, she couldn't be sure. As princess of the elven country of Liones—it wasn't in her favor to ask. Father was very set in his ways and incredibly protective of his three daughters.

The fairies seemed so alive though! She had lived a long 400 years in her woodland kingdom, and yet she only felt like she had truly lived when graced by the presence of Harlequin, the fairy king or one of his subordinates. They fluttered around and played like children despite their many years on this land. As the third princess and second in line for the throne, she was expected to be a model for other woodland elves; her father frowned on the way she would join Harlequin's people in their games.

Liones was tucked away from the world, a world that had many wonders that the Fairy King would tell her stories about under the cherry trees.

So naturally, when word got around that Harlequin had asked permission for him and his team of adventurers to be granted safe passage through the kingdom during their travels... Elizabeth couldn't help but go against her father's distinct orders for her to remain home during their crossing.

The princess roused at dawn with a smile on her lips. Today was the day she'd finally see Harlequin's team for herself! What could be better than seeing a story come to life? Merlin, the greatest mage of Britanna, Diane, the most beautiful giant in all the land, Gowther, the mind reading doll, Ban the undead, and of course, Meliodas, the demon lord. The thought shot shivers down her spine. It was like words jumping off a page right before her eyes! Nothing Father concocted would keep her home today.

She dressed in typical elven archer gear. Brown leather pants and a multi-green tunic that allowed free movement in the way it fit her form, but flared out at her hips. Nothing to distinguish her from any other elf, save for the lone earring she wore on her ear with her kingdom's crest. Elizabeth was far too excited to bother with it, or with her hair. She left it hanging down her back as she slung her quiver over her tunic and snatched the long bow from its roost in the corner of her bedroom.

Swinging the door open, Elizabeth's blue eyes widened as she tumbled onto her bottom from surprise. Her sister, Veronica was standing right in front of it with a knowing smile on her face. The second princess looked down at her guilty little sister and smirked. "I knew it!"

"Knew, knew wh, what?" Elizabeth replied shyly, fidgeting on the floor with wilting ears.

"You! You're on your way to the cross roads aren't you!" Veronica pointed, smirking at catching her sister red handed.

Her face paled, "N, no! You heard Father! We're n, not allowed to leave the castle grounds today!" Elizabeth stood up and dusted herself off, "I was j, just on my way to get some practice in."

Veronica's laugh echoed throughout the hall, "Are you kidding me? Little sister! You are such a bad liar! You haven't gone to the practice grounds in over three years! Not that anyone would blame you—being one of the best archers in the kingdom."

She was being too loud! Elizabeth grabbed her and yanked her into the bedroom and shut the door behind her, "Well, if you knew, then why are you here barring my way?" She whisper/yelled at her, "you're going to get me caught!"

Her sister's face lost its mirth, "Well, because I'm worried about you."

Words like that was one of the things Elizabeth was sick of, but she couldn't blame her. If the shoe had been on the other foot, she would have been worried too. "Sister... I..."

"Don't think for a moment that Harlequin's buddies aren't scoundrels!" She folded her arms stubbornly, "they aren't elves, ya know, and they aren't fairies! You keep your guard up!"

Elizabeth squeaked, "I'm not actually going to talk to them! I just... wanted to have a look."

Veronica scoffed, "Sure. Because we all know that you look with your eyes, and not with your hands."

This brought a blush to the younger princess' cheeks. It just wasn't fair trying to express your intentions to someone who knew you so well. She couldn't help if it if the things she looked at tended to fall... forcing her to pick it back up and replace it. This was different though. She was much too shy to actually speak with Harlequin's legendary friends "I couldn't possibly... if I did, the Fairy King would only drag me back home and I'd get into even more trouble..."

"You know I should stop you right..." Her sister frowned at her.

Elizabeth squirmed under her penetrating gaze, "...Yes..."

Veronica cracked a smile and snatched her up in a giant hug, "Good, then I never saw you this morning. When I knocked, you had complained that your stomach felt ill so you were going to skip breakfast." She slipped her fresh bread and cheese neatly wrapped up in a cloth.

The smile that grew from the platinum haired princess' face was the brightest of all in Liones, "You really mean it Sister? You won't stop me?"

"Nah." She shrugged, "just come back in one piece. I'm telling you, those guys are nothing but scoundrels!" Pausing, hoping her words weren't falling on deaf ears, "come home in one piece."

"Thank you Sister! Thank you!"

"Yea, yea, now go out the window you idiot! I'm not covering for you if you can't even scale the castle walls!"

Elizabeth laughed, now that was something she could do all too well. They'd been doing it together since adolescence.

^.~

It was mid morning when she heard voices coming from behind her. Elizabeth had made herself at home in the branches of an old oak, well tall enough to never be seen by the travelers.

That is... until she saw how tall Diane really was. The princess did a mental ' _eep!'_ and quickly scrambled to higher branches.

"I still don't understand why we can't just drop in for a bite to eat, Captain. So what if they're a bunch of stuffy elves. A man should be able to pick up some grub if there's a town nearby." The voice came from a man garbed entirely in red leather with white spiky hair.

Then came a much more familiar voice from the small form floating on his giant green pillow, "I told you, Ban! The king does not want anyone bothering his people. You should understand that even being granted passage through his woods is an honor! I can only imagine how many elves are mad because they had to pull their defenses."

"Ha!" The same man retorted, "like a couple of dirty elves could keep us from going where we wanted!"

"Geez, Ban!" This voice bellowed out of the giant. Diane was so big! Sure she was lovely, as Harlequin kept saying... but it was certainly difficult to get over her size! "You never know when to quit. We shouldn't talk about the elves like that, especially not here! They are probably listening."

Ban scoffed, "Like I give a damn. Hey Captain, let's go grab some food." He bent over a shorter form, the only one on the trail that hadn't yet spoken. "I swear I smell bread and cheese. Smells amazing! I could sure go for some right about now."

Elizabeth did another mental _'eep!'_ Surely he wasn't smelling what she hadn't already eaten! She checked her pack, with what remained of her breakfast securely tucked away. How could he have smelled that? Ban the undead must have a nose like a fox! They were passing her now, so she started to leap through the trees after them. She couldn't loose them now! They were bantering back and forth! Just like in the stories the Fairy King would tell her.

The man Ban had referred to as Captain looked up at the taller man and sniffed the air. "I smell it too. It does smell pretty good."

"C, Captain!" Harlequin floated up on the other side of him, "you can't be serious! We've got to stay on the path!"

"Relax, King." The man waved nonchalantly, "all I did was admit that it smells good. We'll get something to eat when we meet up with the others at the Boar Hat."

Elizabeth found it odd about how relieved Harlequin's sigh sounded. Why had he called that man Captain? She couldn't get a good look at him, Ban the undead was blocking her view. Her attentions were spread between the branches she leapt through, and trying to watch.

"Aww, you guys are no fun." Ban grinned to himself, "just imagine the looks on their faces if we were to stride into town!" He leaned over the Captain again, "I hear elven chicks are real babes, ya know!"

"Are they?" He responded innocently enough.

"Really Ban?" Diane the giant mumbled, "the Captain wouldn't be interested in such riffraff."

"Actually," Harlequin thought out loud, "They are pretty breathtaking. They grow up to be pretty mature, unlike my kind, who tend to stay in a childlike form for most of our lives."

"Heh," Ban chuckled, "sounds like you just said the town is full of busty babes to me!"

"I suppose a _slight_ detour could be allowed..." The blonde man put a thoughtful finger to his chin.

"Alriiight!" Ban laughed out.

" _C-Captian! We CAN'T!"_ Harlequin cried desperately.

The Captain chuckled, "Relax, King! I'm only kidding. I know you stuck your neck out getting permission for us to go through this shorter route."

"Whew..."

"Damnit! And after you got my hopes all up and everything." Ban sulked.

"Serves you right, Ban!" Diane reprimanded, "you know how distracted the Captain can get! We have to stay on track."

"Riiiiiight..." Ban grinned again, Elizabeth wondered if the smirk of his was painted on. "I'M the one leading him down the path of temptation."

The Captain stopped short, causing Ban to pass him. He was much shorter than Ban the undead. His hair was slightly longer and wafted in the breeze in an unruly blonde mess. He looked as though he was barely over 100! Why were they calling this child Captain? He sucked his finger briefly then held it up to the air.

"What is it Captain?" Diane asked apprehensively.

"Oh..." He replied, smiling slightly. "Nothing much." The blonde counted three steps to the right, then one forward. Then he made and X in the dirt. "You guys wanna see some pretty birds?" Then the boy turned around, and walked to a tree on the other side of the path and knocked on the wood.

"Sure!" Diane smiled.

"Caaaptain!" Harlequin whined, "we shouldn't bother the wildlife!"

Elizabeth stared at the boy's smile. He looked as carefree as a fairy—much more than the side of Harlequin she'd never seen before. She was confused about the Fairy King's complete personality overhaul. He'd always seemed so confident when he would visit their kingdom.

All three of them were watching the Captain curiously, four if you included the interloper up in the trees. His smile changed into a smirk as he lightly thumped the tree before walking away.

After a moment of silence, plumed pheasants emerged from the canopy, at least ten of them. Diane smiled brightly, "Aww! So pretty!"

"Those birds are native to these lands, Diane." Harlequin educated.

"I wish we could come here more often!" She murmured, watching the birds tumble about the air.

"Me too! Especially when other beauties fall out of the sky too!" The Captain added.

That was around the last time Elizabeth had at least an inkling of an idea she understood what was happening around her for some time to come. When the pheasants regained their composer, they flew up into the tree she was perched in, which caused a pair of chittering chipmunks to scurry around their vast haul of acorns in a fruitless effort to keep them from gravity's angry grasp. Those acorns started tumbling down right on top of the princess, which resulted in her trying to move to another branch. However, her movements were not quicker than the acorns falling amidst the branches, and a few perilous steps led her foot to fall right on top of one, causing her to yelp and frantically grab at anything she could latch onto.

Alas, the only thing she was able to grab onto was a chipmunk with quite an extensive set of curse words in his own squeaky language, and she was sent falling a length higher than a giant on a one way coarse to the ground.

Yea... she screamed.

The Captain walked back to the X he had made in the dirt right in the nick of time to catch her. However, it was not like in the fairy tales where a dashing prince would catch the damsel in bridal style. No... she fell into his arms alright, but she tumbled into his waiting arms with her legs straddling his waist, and his grabby hands squeezing both cheeks of her rear end.

She blushed a bright red as she looked into those green eyes that spoke of an age she could only imagine. Her 400 years seemed like child's play under eyes such as these. The hands underneath her gripped her in a way that felt... hungry.

"Well hi there!" Was all he said, with a handsome smile and hands full of her.

"Oh dear..." Elizabeth breathed.

"AHHHH!" Came Harlequin's voice as he floated up to them, "E-E-Elizabeth! W, what're you doing here?!"

The bright red princess turned to him, but she was far too embarrassed to speak.

"Well I'll be, babes really are falling from the sky." Ban looked up into the trees' canopy.

"Hey King," the Captain said, still staring at the pointy eared enemy of gravity who was releasing a poor chipmunk from her hand.

"Uh... yes?" The Fairy King answered hesitantly.

Making no movement to put the assaulted woman down, he asked, "Is this that princess you said who her dad was trying to arrange a marriage with the drow elf kingdom's prince?

"Wha, what?!" Elizabeth started, growing redder the more he squeezed.

"Um... yea... actually."

His smile turned slightly sinister as he looked at the elf girl, "Is that something that sounds fun to you, Princess?"

It was the first she'd heard about it—marriage? To... Prince Hendrickson...? She knew father was trying to make peace with them, but marrying her off to that, that monster? With hands that gripped the Captain's shoulders firmly, her whole body moved with how fervently she shook her head, "Nnnno! I can't! I won't!"

Suddenly his smile turned cheery, his voice a pitch higher, "Great! It's settled then! You'll come with us!"

"Captain!" Harlequin shrieked, "she is a _princess_ of the woodland elves! We can't just kidnap her!"

"We're not kidnapping! She's running away." He started walking, _still_ holding her, "in the same direction as us."

"Nice!" Ban exclaimed, "a little political espionage does a body good!"

"This is a bad idea Captain! Think of the consequences!" Harlequin fretted.

"Think about how we better walk faster," laughed Ban.

Diane growled, "Maybe _Captain_ should think about _putting her down!"_

"Oh!" the captain set her down after one last handful of elf rear to satisfy him, "sorry about that," he spoke as though he hadn't the slightest hint of anything he may have done to accost the girl, and nodded a greetings to her. "I'm Meliodas. Nice ta meetcha!"

"You... you're Meliodas...?" Elizabeth couldn't seem to shake the redness off her face.

Ban sighed in a disapproving tone, "Typically you tell him your name now that he told you his."

"Oh!" The elf jumped, she felt as though her bottom still had his hand prints on it! "I'm... I'm Princess Elizabeth..."

Meliodas made a small, very small bow, "The pleasure's all mine." He glanced at the other three with him, "we'd better get a move on."

"Oh! Umm... right!" Frowned Diane.

"Oh dear... what are we doing?" Cried Harlequin

"Hey Cap, betcha I can beatcha outta this crummy old forest!" Ban snickered.

* * *

 **Stage set and hands full! Let's go adventuring! I'm gonna have fun drawing lil Elizabeth with pointy ears now—keep an eye out for upcoming coverart!**

 **I LOVIES YOU!**

 **Seriphia**

 **aka**

 **Lick**

 **~Thanx yet again, my Luv (fanfictionlove2014) for the nickname! It's still raising the most delicious questions!**


	2. Sinful Paths

**Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob* **

* * *

Sinful Paths

An arranged marriage? How could Father do such a thing? He had always treated her sisters and her like his greatest treasures—he practically turned overprotectiveness into an art form! What good would the third princess be to the drow elves anyway? She wasn't heir to the throne, she wasn't even of noble blood! She was an orphan adopted by a man who missed his wife. The third princess of Liones should be seen as worthless in the eyes of building an alliance. There is no reason for his betrayal of trust!

And why was such a thing kept from her? How would Harlequin have known before her? _And he gossiped about it?_ Apparently she was not the only one he shared stories with. Elizabeth knew the Fairy King traveled with these people, and conversational topics might have started running low... but she was hardly worthy of discussion with warriors such as these.

He talked about her! To... the demon lord? Lord of _what_ exactly? Demons held to no hierarchy—quite the contrary. A few words needed to be exchanged with this gossip of a Fairy King. Elizabeth supposed she could be frank with him. Before, she'd always made sure to show him the utmost respect but in circumstances like these, she supposed they were on even enough ground to allow her to deliver a perfectly merited chewing out.

They made it out of the forest easy enough. Not a single elf ever came to bid them farewell or anything. Awfully pompous of her father, she would have at least tried to send them an escort through the forest.

If he had of, perhaps he'd still have three princesses instead two.

 _Marrying Hendrickson? I'll make a living in the human world... I'll write to my sisters, but I cannot go back. Why would Father even THINK of such an atrocity?_

Elves lived long lives. No matter what anyone says, marriage is for life. She could not spend hers tied to one like him. Suddenly an over-sized black vest was draped over her shoulders.

"It's not much, but it should help a little."

Elizabeth glanced over to see Meliodas returning his hands to behind his back.

"Oh! Um, thank, thank you..." She said shyly, "but I'm not cold."

She noticed he was watching her closely through the corner of his eye as he replied, "You're not? I thought you might be, you were shivering."

 _Oh._

A heavy sigh came from her as she removed his vest, "I... I..." She chewed on her lower lip, a habit Veronica continuously reprimanded her for, it was an expression of weakness a princess shouldn't exhibit. "I, um, had no idea about any plans of a marriage."

"Hmm."

That's it? A hum? Just who was this Meliodas anyway?

"Hey Captain, just how much farther is it? I thought this shortcut was supposed to get us there faster." Ban complained, stalking behind them with hands stuck in his pockets.

"It's not much farther."

Diane sighed, "I hope Gowther was able to make us some cash today."

"Me too, Diane!" Harlequin piped up next to her, "we could use more groceries."

Ban snickered, "Yea sure, cuz Gowther really knows how to bring the customers in."

"It'll be fine, after all, none of the other pubs will have a cute elf waiting on them." Meliodas smirked.

This made Elizabeth jump, "Cute... elf...? What?" He was talking about her? Waiting on who? What does that mean?

Suddenly Meliodas seemed to be coming at her in all different directions.

In front of her, he tilted her chin up and examined her neck.

From behind, he bent over and took a feel of her bottom.

Then he was beside her running his hand up her inner thigh.

And finally, he was in front of her, taking in a generous handful of her breast.

She was blushing wildly while he was nodding to himself, "Yes, she'll bring in the business great!"

" _Captain!"_ Diane growled.

"I hope so," Ban walked past them, continuing onward, "I need better food if you expect me to keep cooking for the Master."

Meliodas smiled at Elizabeth, "You're really cute when you blush like that. Keep it up!"

"You never say I'm cute when _I_ blush..." Diane mumbled, also walking past them.

Harlequin floated after the giant and replied in a timid voice, "I think you're really cute when you blush Diane!"

Elizabeth stared at the Demon Lord as he stared right back at her. He had a soft smile on his lips and his grabby hands now rested on his hips. Was he waiting for her to say something? What could she say? "Umm... so, I, I'm going to work at a... restaurant you own?"

"HAH!" She heard Ban laugh out from ahead of them.

"Something like that," Meliodas agreed.

^.~

Elizabeth was concentrating on taking one step after another when an odd boy with pink hair, glasses and immaculately clean clothes was spotted off the side of the road.

"What the hell are you doing here Gowther?" Ban called out, "did you burn the place down?"

The boy adjusted his glasses and nodded a greetings, "I was calculating the ratio of stocked food versus possible consumption amounts, when the pig shoved me out and told me to wait for you all."

His eyes fell on Elizabeth and he tilted his head, "Well hello," he never blinked.

There was something off about his gaze, like he could see through her clothes. The elf instinctively hid behind Meliodas, off-handedly wondering why she would hide from a stranger, behind a stranger. Well, all logic had already been cast away the moment she tried to anchor herself with a chipmunk anyway, why not?

Meliodas placed his fists on his hips and... did he appear... proud that she'd taken shelter behind him? It's not like she was about to hide behind Ban. "Hiya Gowther!" He smiled, "this is—"

"Princess Elizabeth, third princess of the woodland elf race. The kingdom of Liones, I believe." Gowther's glasses flashed in the sunlight as he adjusted them.

Ban chuckled, "I can't wait til her cover is blown! That's when the fun starts."

Harlequin whimpered and Diane let out an annoyed sigh.

"Let's just keep that information to ourselves, Gowther," the blonde man smiled to his companion.

"I do not understand why, but very well Captain. Princess Elizabeth's lineage will not be discussed further at this juncture."

Shortly after Gowther fell in behind them a building came into view that had a thatched, pointy roof. Elizabeth found the structure foreign and quite enthralling. This must be what human architecture looked like. Diane announced she was going to take a nap, and promptly laid next to the place and closed her eyes. Harlequin glanced at Elizabeth before he floated over to the giant, claiming he would rest out here too.

 _So he's avoiding me. Can't say that I blame him._

The princess yelped when touchy hands were placed on her hips from behind and started guiding her through the door.

"Meliodas! You're ba—!" A waist high pink pig with a clover mark just above his curly tail was jogging up toward the entrance, but halted as soon as it noticed a pointy eared, red faced elf girl instead of the bartender of the Boar Hat. "Who's this?"

Meliodas peeked his head out from behind the princess and smiled to the pig, "Hey Hawk! No one come in yet?"

"Yea right! Gowther is such a buzzkill that no one wants to stick around. Who's this?"

Meliodas held her hips, feeling pleased, and grinned at the pig. "Our new waitress!"

"She's a princess of Liones." Gowther pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Damn Gowther..." Ban sighed, ducking in from behind them, "remind me to make sure you don't find out anymore of my dirty laundry."

"My task was not to examine your dirty laundry, Ban."

"Whatever," The spiky haired tall man walked by. "I'm starving. Gonna cook up some food."

"P-p-p-p-princess?" The pig stuttered.

Elizabeth was so intrigued about a talking pig, that the warm press of strong hands against her hips were forgotten. She leaned forward to look at the creature more closely, "A talking pig...?" Her people considered themselves a natural part of the forest, and knew nearly everything about the animals there but this... this was new. However, her curiosity was cut short when a torso bumped into her from behind, causing her to quickly straighten out.

"Upstairs Elizabeth, I'll show you your uniform!" Meliodas said cheerfully.

"Oh! O-okay."

"Uniform?" Hawk piped in, "upstairs?" Hawk chased upstairs after the two of them, "you're not getting her alone Meliodas!"

This left Gowther alone downstairs again, since Ban was indulging himself in his cooking. The spectacled boy scratched his head, "How did the Captain obtain a princess? No matter how many scenarios I can play out, I just cannot see him accomplishing the task in such a short amount of time."

^.~

Elizabeth stood in a rather large bedroom with a large bed and an impressive port window. Not being able to help herself, her eyes tried to look at every little detail at once. She'd never been in a man's bedroom before, and here she was alone with a living legend.

Who was hunched over a large trunk, tossing out several different articles of clothing.

She heard a clip clop of hooved feet from behind her, and saw the pig named Hawk run in and stop between her and the half buried demon lord.

"Just what are you thinking Meliodas! You can't just bring a girl you just met up to your bedroom! What are you trying to do? Ruin her reputation?"

"My, reputation?" The ears protruding from her platinum hair wilted, maybe that was why she'd never been in a man's room before.

Meliodas lifted out of the trunk with a bright smile on his face. He was holding an outfit that was draped over his arm and he looked down at the pig and blinked, "Well then I think the sleeping arrangements are going to be hard. No way is Ban gonna let her sleep with him,

 _Sleep with... Ban?_

"and I don't think she'll want to be unconscious around Gowther,

 _The mind reading doll?_

"and there might be some angry elves searching for her come nightfall, so sleeping outside with Diane would never work...

 _Father's soldiers?_

"So I figured that her bunking with me was just about the best option!" Meliodas smiled proudly.

Hawk looked up at him flatly, "You've been thinking on this... haven't you?"

"Mmmhmm!"

 _Oh my... I should say something... where has my voice gone!_

"Well..." Hawk hesitated, "I'll do some thinking on it too. Don't worry Princess," the piggy turned his snout up at his partner and looked back to Elizabeth, " _someone_ here is gonna look after you!"

"Umm... Thank you, uh, Sir Pig." Would the heat in her cheeks ever diminish?

"Isn't she cute when she does that?" Meliodas grinned to himself.

"Yea, I'll bet." Hawk snorted at him.

The blonde walked around the pig and offered the clothes he held up to her with a rather innocent smile. "These should fit you! Go ahead and try them on, we'll be opening soon."

"Umm... okay, Sir Meliodas." It was hard to recall at the present point in time, but she was fairly sure Harlequin had told her they were all knights of some order.

That was around the time things got awkward. She took the outfit from him and stood there, assuming he would leave—but he just stood there, with a fox-faced grin.

The silence stretched.

...

Elizabeth thought she might start to sweat.

….

Was he waiting for her to just... strip down?

…..

Assumption is a dangerous thing indeed..

True to his word, the pig stepped in to her rescue. Groaning deeply, Hawk ran between Meliodas' legs, wiping the man's grin away as he barreled out of the room with his newly mounted rider in tow.

Elizabeth watched the exit with a sweatdrop pouring over her long hair, feeling relieved—and a sudden odd sense of loneliness.

Laughter began to be heard downstairs about the same time it hit her:

 _I ran away from home. Harlequin's team of warriors—no, knights—just carried me away..._

 _And I let them!_

 _What will Father think? He's going to be so disappointed in me! I may have been an expert at sneaking out of the castle, but I've never ran away before! What will they do? I should go home, oh my sisters must be so worried about me!_

The thought to returning to her beloved woods filled her with peace. The wind in the leaves, the familiar scent of barkwood and blossoms. The warm embrace of loved ones.

Then her mind's eye flashed a picture of the drow elf prince. Deep, cold eyes, icy features and dark ambitions. His ears always turned up in confidence at knowing anything he ordered would be done without so much as a hesitation or doubt. He was not only the drow elf prince, but their champion as well.

 _And I would be nothing more than his little trophy wife to be placed up on a mantle and forgotten._

Being forgotten was worse than death. What reason would there be to walk upon Mother Gaia's sacred land if no one knew you'd been here? Her thoughts traveled back to the innocent smile of Sir Meliodas. Surely he was aware of the risk of letting her travel with them, and yet it had seemed like such a casual, light-hearted, half thought out spontaneous, _insane_ , spur of the moment idea.

Traveling with him was going to be a much more rewarding path than being sabotaged and dragged off to a wedding with a monster.

With a renewed sense of vigor, Elizabeth quickly changed into her—

 _Uniform?_

She looked herself over in the mirror. Had her legs always been so long? Why was there only one stocking? The pink blouse is so short—and speaking about short... this skirt! Elves were forest creatures, leather pants to guard against twigs, strong boots to maintain a good gait, and a free flowing top to allow easy movement... legs and tummy were feeling very exposed right about then. This was how humans dressed then? If she was going to make a new life for herself here, then this was something she'd have to do. At least... while she worked here.

The laughter coming from downstairs was louder now, coming from several different voices, it began to fill her with a nervous dread as she slowly walked downstairs to confront her new life head on. Elizabeth stopped on the third stair from the bottom, witnessing a scene of several men joshing and making merry with their brethren. How could she ever fit in here?

It was quiet uncomfortable when Meliodas' voice made her heart jump into her throat, lost in thought as she was. "There you are, Elizabeth! Come on down, no one's gonna hurt cha."

The heat that fled back to her cheeks could not be helped. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding his hand out to her. He looked very handsome... for a human.

 _Wait, demon? He looks so much like a human! But those eyes, ancient eyes._

Eyes she discovered that she could loose herself in. Timidly, she held her hand out and accepted his.

"That uniform suits you really well," Meliodas smiled warmly at her and lightly pulled her down the rest of the stairs. Many of the men stopped dicing, or drinking to look up at the _only_ female in the room. Meliodas looked over his customers and said with a kind smile, "this is our first waitress in a long time guys! Treat her right!"

So many eyes on her at once made her start to shiver, then she felt a squeeze from the hand that held hers. Somehow, it did volumes to calm her nerves.

Humans must be strange creatures indeed, for as if by mutual agreement they returned to their previous endeavors as though she'd never arrived. Far different from what happened when a princess arrived in a room of the court. Yelping from being pulled from her own observations, Meliodas brought her behind the bar with him. "It's pretty simple, Elizabeth. Just take the food Ban cooks to them." He casually lifted up her skirt while he spoke, "we don't have a ton of menu options, so it's pretty simple."

"Damnit Meliodas!" Hawk yelled out, ramming into him and pushing him away, "let the princess work! You got drinks to make!"

Work. Elizabeth had worked before! Several times! Elven training is pretty rigorous, every elf is expected to meet at least a general standard of dexterity and strength whether you're royalty or not. If they hadn't, the drows would have destroyed them many millenia ago! Take the food to the them. Them. Meliodas' patrons? Yes, of course his patrons! Who else would she give the food to? He'd introduced her as a waitress, didn't he? She can be a waitress! She'll be the best damn waitress ever! This is going to be great!

This was a disaster.

No matter how many times Hawk went over the floor, it always seemed to be slippery. How was she supposed to watch where she stepped if she was holding three different trays? Due to her natural stubbornness, she finally settled with carrying one tray at a time after failing several attempts to take so many at once. At least Ban wasn't yelling at her for feeding the master so much after that. Was she crazy, or was Ban the Undead calling a pig, Master?

She kept giving people the wrong food. With only three options for the clients to choose from, you'd think she'd get at least a few right by statistical means—but it didn't feel that way for her. Every time she tried to give them food with a smile, she'd be told that it wasn't theirs. Were they picking on her, or was she really doing this poorly? It was so noisy that she couldn't think, so stuffy she couldn't breath, her sense of balance must have been thrown off somehow too because she started to fall even when simply taking a mug of ale to someone.

Elizabeth was having a rough time reclaiming her smile when she (yet again) fell to the floor, this time accidentally tripping over someone's feet. Barely catching herself on her hands and knees, it was becoming something of a joke for the Boar Hat's guests. A particularly burly fellow she'd landed near tossed his head back in a roar of laughter. "Now, now, pointy ears! Don't be glum! We'll watch you fall all night long with a body like that!" To accentuate his words, he gave her a firm slap on her bottom. The sound of it echoed through the entire pub.

Before Elizabeth could even register what had happened aside from a stinging sensation, a strong gust of wind blew past her and she heard a crashing sound louder than all the carousing put together. Frozen in place, she witnessed Meliodas walking back in through the front doors, dusting his hands off.

"Did that guy just kick Hayford out at the speed of light?" She heard a voice whisper.

"Maybe he cast a spell," whispered another.

"Alright friends," Meliodas said in the same light-hearted tone he typically spoke in. "Bar's closed. Time to head home."

Gowther stood up from where he had been sitting all night at a table in the corner, and Ban ditched his cooking spoon and leapt onto the bar counter in a squat with the devil's smirk.

The building cleared out faster than a chicken coup invaded by a fox.

"Hey Capt! You should do that more often!" Ban fell behind the bar with a crash, laughing, "ouch. Easiest clear out... ever."

The Demon Lord Meliodas once again held his hand out to her, "Rough night?"

She felt her ears wilting under his gaze. His smile was so light and sweet, Elizabeth didn't realize it, but she was absolutely charmed by it. Again, the girl took his hand and was helped to her feet.

"You look a little green, do you need to get some air?" He asked mercifully.

Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh, "Yes!" Her eyes actually started to water, "so much!"

"Up here then, let's go." Meliodas put a hand on her lower back and guided her up the stairs.

Once the two of them were securely on the second floor, Ban poked his head up above the counter. "Pay up Goatman!"

Gowther tilted his head and flipped a coin over to the head of spiky hair, "To think the captain would be so unreasonable as to shut down the entire establishment just because someone touched the help."

"Heh." Ban polished up his shiny new gold piece, "you just gotta know the way the Captain thinks."

"That is a task I doubt I will ever successfully accomplish."

"Don't feel bad, man. It's more of a curse really." Ban smirked.

^.~

The elf princess sucked in the night air like a dear missed lover. She felt herself rejuvenated, everything. She could finally think clearly, hell, it even felt as though her balance was restored! She could probably dance on the balcony's handrail without an effort now.

"So it looked like you got a little claustrophobic in there. Are you doing better now?" Meliodas asked, leaning with his back against the rail, whereas Elizabeth was leaning over it, watching the land.

Her eyes widened, "Claustrophobic? I, I suppose that would make sense. It's n, never happened before though."

Meliodas shrugged, "I'm pretty sure you've never been in a position like that before." He put on an innocent face and lightly felt around her rear, "you're not hurt are you?"

His gentle touch sent a shiver down her spine, it was very different from the other times he'd grabbed her. Feeling as though her face might explode, she spoke in a higher tone, "No no! I'm fine!"

 _Change the subject away from your ass, Elizabeth!_ She thought to herself.

"So, um, how did Harlequin know about Prince Hendrickson?"

That pulled his hand away, thank the Goddesses! He glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow, "Prince Hendrickson?"

"Yes... the arranged marriage I hadn't even heard of yet."

"Oh, I know who he is," Meliodas frowned, "I just didn't know the two of you were on a first name basis. You know him well?"

A foolish woman may have thought he sounded jealous. Elizabeth was sure he just wanted information, most people did. "Well... we were children together. Our mothers were friends, so we would meet every now and then to play together. It didn't take long for our paths to split far away from each other though." The memories of those details were something she didn't care to dive into.

 _Wait a minute... I'm the one who asked a question here, how is it that I'M the one telling him more about me?_

She turned away from the landscape with her mouth open to repeat her question, but Meliodas was walking back into the bedroom. "Considering it's your first day, you did pretty good tonight! Feel free to lay down whenever you're ready."

And he was gone.

Living among legends was not going to be easy... she was exhausted and overwhelmed. Standing out here no longer held any appeal to her; so she dragged her feet back inside, eyes falling on the single, large bed in the room.

 _And I'm bunking with the demon lord..._

Maybe he was joking. He had left the room after all.

 _Where are my clothes?_

Well she certainly wasn't going to sleep in this 'uniform.' Who knows how much of whatever she's spilled on it. Ugh, her body was feeling tenderized from the many, many times she'd fallen too. Briefly wondering how many bruises would be decorating her legs for her first full day in the human world, she tossed open the door to Meliodas' closet. Had she really been planning on running away, she would have packed a few things.

 _Oh well..._

Elizabeth pulled out a large, white button up men's dress shirt to sleep in and shut the closet door gently. Was this really happening? Was she really about to dress in the Demon Lord's shirt, and rest on his bed?

 _Either that or sleep with Ban the undead..._

Just the thought of it had her stripping down and buttoning up Meliodas' shirt with record speed. Thank the Goddesses that the panties she chose this morning were not too terribly revealing. Elizabeth found herself stalling with the actual laying down part when she realized how carefully she was folding up her dirty clothes. It couldn't be helped! The little virgin elf princess had only met him today—and now she was supposed to lay down in his bed? Her procrastination brought her eyes to a modest book shelf near the deck window. Going to sleep with a book might help...

Most of the titles she'd never even heard of, but a few of them were distinctly elven. Curious. Where had he gotten these? Elves did not make a habit of sharing their culture. Too tired to dwell on it, she picked out a human book with an image of a couple holding each other. She couldn't imagine this man having a romance novel as part of his personal library, but that's what it appeared to be.

She found it exciting, to finally be doing something vaguely normal. Curling up with a book was just that. Sleep would come soon, she was sure. Meliodas was _not_ returning, and she was free to sleep peacefully.

* * *

 **Yea right... we'll find out in the NEXT CHAPPIE!**

 _ **I ADOPTED KITTIES!**_ **They're brother and sister and I can't stop squeezing their little faces! The little calico girl, we named Rikku (FINAL FANTASY was my bread and butter as a teenage gamer girl) and her brother is a blue tipped siamese. Now this is where my story about my new babies becomes relevant for me to share with you—other than the fact that you should be happy cuz I'M happie—for a long time now, we thought Rikku's brother wasn't going to make it. He had some SERIOUS health problems that had a few vets stating that it would be best that we put him down. The adoption agency is a non kill facility though, and went above and beyond with his blood work and tests. Long story short, he lost most of his left eye—but eventually made a FULL recovery. Here's where his new mommy (yours truly) comes in. I am so relieved at how he'd managed to escape death and managed to keep kickin, and add in his gorgeous gray and dark gray fur...**

 **I named him Ban the Undead! AND HE IS A HANDFUL! Stop chewing on my cords Ban! I need those! :D**

 **ANYWHO! Time to give a shout out to all those in need of a'lickin!**

 **fanfictionlove2014 : Oh, I Luv you so, so, so much. I fear not even my magical, healing, and SOOTHING licks can express the depths of my love for you. My Luv, my life. READ HER FIC GUYS!  
** **BettyBest2 : I hope it stays that way! I'm excited. =^.^=  
** **SilverLightOfDawn** **: More more MORE! It's still a problem! I tend to write long stories! o.o;;  
** **RainStorm2122** **: There were not enough episodes for me to remember who Bartra was! T.T I had to look it up just to feel STOOPID.  
** **Rawrtsuna** **: Next chappie's gonna start out fuuuuuuun!  
** **LightTheFlame** **: Hey thanx! Lizzie is TOO cute with elf ears, I couldn't resist!**

 **Just for you my lovelies  
** **Keep on smiling!  
**

 **Seri  
** **aka  
** **Lick**

 ***~.ㇸ6.~***


	3. Going Through the Motions

**Rated M**

 **M is for MATURE, people.**

 **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob* **

Going Through the Motions

Her fortunes were not as good as she had thought. She had always been a light sleeper, so when Meliodas and the talking pig entered with their whisper argument, her eyes popped open while her body stayed frozen where she'd fallen asleep before she even managed to read much of the book's dedications (one should always read what authors are grateful enough to share with one's readers—even a princess knows that!). **A/N: Yea—I went there! XD!**

Despite how uncomfortable her neck was, laying on an open book, she decided her best course of action was to pretend that she was still sleeping. A princess is _not_ supposed to eavesdrop... but she had such very large ears!

Meliodas: It's going to be fine, Hawk! You can trust me!

Hawk: Are you kidding? No way! I know you better than that!

Meliodas: But how am I supposed to sleep if you get your way?

Hawk: I don't care Meliodas! It's my way, or I'll drag you down to sleep in the pig's sty!

She heard a very unmasculine gulp.

Meliodas: You don't mean... downstairs with an untethered Gowther... do you?

Hawk: That's _exactly_ what I mean!

Suddenly Elizabeth could feel eyes on her and it was very hard to keep from squirming.

Meliodas: *sigh* Yeah...

Gentle hands lifted her head up the slightest little bit and the book under her was pulled free. A moment later she could hear a chuckle. What was he laughing about?

Meliodas: Do your worst, Hawk.

Hawk: Heheheh, hold still!

She nearly yelped when, what must have been, Meliodas plopped on the bed next to her a few moments later. Honestly? Was he trying to wake her? Keeping her eyes tightly closed, she continued her ruse—fearing it was no longer believable.

Hawk: Now behave yourself Meliodas!

Meliodas: Good night, Hawk!

The slow clipclop of the pig's feet was the last sound the princess heard for a while. Moonlight crept in from the window and everything seemed peaceful, but Elizabeth was not blessed with the sandman's gift. She listened to the cricket's lullaby in vain, they used to help her sleep... but not this night. Not now, with a demon next to her.

A soft voice broke the silence, "Now I'm faced with a decision." He paused, "Do I entertain the idea that you want me to think you're asleep? Or do I... let you know that I know you're awake?"

 _By all that is holy... what is he doing?_

She heard him sigh when she didn't move.

"I'm really glad you fell into my arms today, Elizabeth. I hope you'll be glad someday too."

His unexpected honesty finally made her turn around. With a rustle of bed sheets, she could see at him laying next to her, bathed in the moon's rays. The soft smile caressing his lips brought one to her own, "I am grateful... for everything. Your decision to shelter me could not have been an easy one."

Meliodas' grin grew, "And the part where you fell into my arms...?"

Okay, now he was just _trying_ to make her blush! It was working... "I, umm, I'm certainly glad that you caught me..."

"Me too."

"Umm..."

"Hey Elizabeth, would you do me a favor?"

Her ears perked, "I suppose so, Sir Meliodas. What is it?"

"There's a drink over on the desk, wouldja mind getting it for me?"

"Oh! Um, alright." The elf sat up, moving the blanket off of them. From her peripheral vision, she noticed something odd, so she turned to fully investigate.

Meliodas was tied up!

"Oh my goodness! Sir Meliodas!"

He blinked, "What?"

"You're-you're-you're restrained! In your own bed!"

"Yea, I'm going to need some help sitting up too." The knight just smiled at her.

She wished he'd stop doing that. All his smiling made the crazy seem normal. Turning away to get the drink he'd asked for was a polite enough excuse to break away from his gaze, so she swung her legs off the bed and scampered across the room to get it. Elizabeth froze when her fingers wrapped around the cup at the sound of a low whistle.

His shirt just barely covered the necessities. From Meliodas' point of view, she was aaaaaaaaall legs. "Couldn't find anything to sleep in huh?"

Ears twitching from a nervousness she didn't understand, Elizabeth turned around, holding the cup close to her, "I'm sorry Sir Meliodas! It was the only thing I could find!"

The view of her from the front was just as good as the back. Meliodas smiled cheerfully, he was so happy! "It's fine, Elizabeth. Really, you look much better in it than I do."

Her eyes widened, "Tha-that's not true!"

With round eyes and raised brows, he replied, "So you're saying I look better than you? That's a pretty big compliment coming from the loveliest princess in the land."

He _was_ trying to make her blush! "Sir Meliodas! Why are you teasing me!?"

There was that fox-faced grin again, and a chuckle too, "Because it's the only thing I _can_ do! Maybe you haven't noticed, but I'm completely at your mercy at the moment."

 _Yet you smile about it._

Feeling a little courage, Elizabeth approached the side of the bed he was on and pointed to the cup she held, "You're thirsty?"

"Yep!"

"And that's all?"

"Nope!"

 _Demon..._

"Then what else?" Elizabeth dangled the cup over him.

Meliodas was thrilled, she was challenging him! Why would he ever lie? "So I could see what you'd found to wear to bed, of course!"

The princess bit her lip, "Are you always like this?"

"Only when there's someone worth it." He startled her with how serious his voice became.

Platinum hair swung about as she shook off his words so that cursed blush wouldn't return, "Was, was there anything else?"

"Well..." He puffed out his cheeks.

"Yes?"

The way she said yes was entirely too sexy for him... so he told her, "I was going to _accidentally_ spill my drink all over that shirt."

With blinking, curious eyes, Elizabeth looked down at the shirt she wore, then back to the cup. "But this looks like wine."

"Red wine."

"It would stain."

"It'd be worth the loss of a shirt."

"Sir Meliodas! I'm sorry about this, but you're going to have to just go thirsty." Elizabeth frowned.

The demon lord sighed, "Like I said, completely at your mercy."

The embarrassed elf set the cup down on the nightstand and crawled over the bundle of rope that was Meliodas and laid on _her_ side of the bed. "I'm going to sleep now."

"I really am glad you fell into my arms today. Good night, Elizabeth."

"...Good night... Sir Meliodas..."

^.~

" _WAKE UP YOU LAZY BUMS! TIME TO GET TO WORK!"_

Any delusions of waking in more familiar atmospheres were quickly wiped away when the loud squeal of a pig reviled the one Elizabeth let out in surprise, tumbling out of the bed.

"Ugh..." It was going to be a long day...

Meliodas caterpillared across the mattress and peeked his head over and made a half smile at her bottom sticking up in the air. His face was only half an inch from it when he said, "Good morning, Elizabeth!"

A groan escaped the elf as she turned over and rubbed her head, "Good morning uh, Sir Meliodas."

"Mind giving me a hand?"

His smile was rather innocent again. Who else but the Demon Lord Meliodas could pull off such a face when asking to be untied? She sat on the bed next to caterpillar Meliodas, feeling delightfully cheerful and giggled, "You want that I should show you mercy?"

Oh my goodness, the man actually purred! "Oh yes, please!"

His response was so funny that the charmed princess felt that she had to comply. For a pig, Sir Hawk certainly knew how to tie a good knot! While she struggled with the rope, Meliodas laid there with a sweet smile on his face, talking about what she might like for breakfast—he'd make anything she wanted! Scrambled eggs, french toast, eclairs, pancakes, anything! "I just love that I get to have breakfast with such a lovely princess this morning!"

"Oh, um," His cheerfulness was very contagious, "anything would be fine, I'm not picky. Sit up please."

With her help, he sat up and she started unwinding the rope. Her movements had Meliodas' eyes lower to flat lines as he stared at the perfectly round plumb breasts she inevitably had in his face. Once she finally finished, Elizabeth gasped at the amount of rope on the floor, "My..."

Meliodas let out a long stretch and yawn, "Ahh that's better!" He took a long, rewarding look at the girl on his bed. Even in the morning she was breath taking. It was probably a good thing that Hawk had tied him up. His shirt looked _good_ on her...

Too good.

Where were her clothes?

Meliodas looked around, puzzled. Then he smiled and snapped his fingers. Peeking his head out the bedroom door, he called, "Hey Gowther! Did you come into my room yesterday?"

The man appeared at the bottom of the stairs, "Indeed I did sir. I'd wanted to examine elven gear first hand."

Elizabeth squeaked from behind him, "W-what?"

 _Knew it!_ Was written all over Meliodas' face, "Well, I think she'd like them back now!"

"So the princess is through being naked then?" Gowther asked in a rather monotone way.

The blonde man looked over his shoulder at the beauty on his bed, "Is naked time already over?"

Red! So red! She could see the red through the white shirt she was so red! "N-n-n-n-n-naked... time? Th-th-there is not... such a time..." One blink, two blinks from her visible round blue eye kept it from twitching.

"Wouldn't it be fun if there was?" He grinned, "nah, don't answer that!" Meliodas turned back to the stairs and hollered at Gowther, "just give the lady back her clothes!"

She didn't need to be walking around Ban just wearing that shirt. Nope. This was going to be for his eyes only.

Meliodas met Gowther halfway and took the clothes from him then turned to head back, but hesitated. "You... didn't _do_ anything to them... did you?"

"I cleaned them."

"Oh... is that all?" Meliodas asked, puzzled.

Gowther adjusted his glasses and turned to walk back down the stairs, "As far as you'll be able to tell."

His companion's attempt at mysterious had Meliodas smiling as he walked back into the room. His princess was standing with her back turned to him looking at the closed book he'd taken from her last night. The smile of his grew wider, "I can help ya with that ya know."

She turned around, having only been looking at the cover, and showed it to him. "What does this mean? Kaaa-meh Suu-tra?"

With a snicker, he corrected her, "Kama Sutra." He pulled the book from her hands softly and grinned. "I'll help ya with it whenever you want!"

Her hands felt empty without the book she'd been planning on reading, "Wh, what does it mean?"

"Mmmm..." Meliodas had the book under his arm and a thoughtful finger to his chin, "let's just say... it's a book about making people happy."

"So Kama Sutra is a human comedy?" Her ears always lowered when she found out that her assumptions were wrong, "I had thought it was a romance."

A sweatdrop came on the knight's head, "It is... kinda. Hey! Here's your clothes!"

Sweet, beloved elven clothes! No short skirt, no belly shirt! She smiled brightly and snatched it from him, her typical effort of putting on a polite front gone. Meliodas didn't mind though, as soon as she freed his hands, he squatted down and lifted the bottom of the shirt she wore, "We should get you more panties."

Hugging her clothes tightly, she stepped back, making the shirt slip out of his fingers. "I suppose you're right."

Meliodas stood up and put his fists on his hips, "Then we'll go shopping after breakfast! We can't very well have you going to Camelot with only those!"

 _Why do I get the feeling he's only talking about my undergarments?_

"Camelot?"

The blonde demon was heading down stairs, "Yep!"

Living with legends was not going to be easy... but did it have to be this hard? How about life threatening peril? Surely that would be easier.

^.~

"So our little Dragon Sin made off with a princess after all?" Ban thought out loud while frying some eggs. "I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed. I was sure we'd have some pissed off elves bustin down the door last night."

Meliodas took a seat at the bar, "You should learn to enjoy the more peaceful things in life."

"Nah," Ban chortled, "that's not entertaining at all."

King floated in the front door, glaring at his captain, "Where's the princess?"

The blonde turned to him with round, innocent eyes, catching the plate of eggs Ban slid to him, "Elizabeth?"

The fairy rolled his eyes, "Yes! Elizabeth! What have you done to her!"

Meliodas smiled and cupped his hands behind his head, "Nothing she didn't want. I was at her mercy last night."

Dead silence filled the room. Their captain started eating his eggs with a soft smile on his face.

Needless to say, all eyes turned upstairs when they heard her heading down. She stopped at the third stair from the bottom again and shyly lifted a nervous fist up to her mouth, "...What?"

King and Meliodas spoke at the same time, King said, "Are you okay, Princess Elizabeth?" And Meliodas patted the bar stool next to him, "Come sit over here Elizabeth! Ban is cooking!"

Being that King was the one floating to her, hugging the life out of that pillow of his, she responded to him first. "I'm fine, Harlequin, but I would like a chance to speak with you. You never returned last night."

Hawk pranced through the front door, "Lizzie! Lizzie! You're never gonna believe what King did for you! Come out here quick!"

"King?" Elizabeth's ears perked up curiously, "who's King?"

Ban, unable to ever keep his mouth shut, cackled loudly, "You mean to tell me that you've been telling this little elfling stories about your 'adventures' ever since her ears were bigger than her head, but you never told her your Sin name?" He bent over as though his side hurt, "what kind of half-baked relationship do you _have_ with that Lion country?!"

"It's Liones." Gowther corrected from his table.

"Would you just shut up, Ban!?" King yelled at him.

Ban just kept laughing.

"Um... Harlequin? What's a... Sin name?" Elizabeth couldn't stand being left in the dark.

Hawk put his two front hooves on the same step as her, "Nevermind all that right now! Come on, come on! He must have been up all night!"

Elizabeth couldn't quite figure out how a pig managed to pull her out the front door, but he did. King floated out behind them. Diane was outside and squealed when she saw the Princess, "Finally! I've never gotten to dress up a real live princess before! I helped King with the designs!"

Diane held up three different outfits, all befitting an elven warrior. No armor, just form fitting clothes. Two of the three had skirts instead of pants though. The shirts were sleeveless with matching padded arm guards and looked like they would flow down to her hips. They were colored for Fall and Summer seasons, one of the blouses had a triangle cut to show her cleavage. Diane's idea, she said that if she liked it, she'd have King do it to the other one too.

"Umm... Who's King?" He'd actually _made_ these for her?

Harlequin raised his hand hesitantly. With that revelation, came Diane and him sharing the story of their band of knights being called the Seven Deadly Sins, and how each of them had a mark of the beast they were named for. It all made at least a little bit of sense, except for Meliodas, the Dragon Sin of Wrath.

Diane chuckled, "You remember how the Captain kicked that guy out last night?" When Elizabeth nodded, she continued, "that was nothing!"

"Come on little piggies!" Hawk called out to them, "we've got a lot of ground to cover today!"

"Best to go back inside, Princess," King smiled to her.

"Th, thank you, Harle, er, King!" Her eyes felt moist, "what you've done is so thoughtful!"

"Now don't you be getting any ideas!" Diane frowned, "you're not the only girl he's made clothes for!"

 _Eep! ~_ "Ye, yes! Of course, Lady Diane!"

When Elizabeth walked back into the Boar Hat, Ban and Meliodas were grinning pure mischief at each other. Ban noticed her and stood straight, "Heeey! There's the girl of the hour! Listen, I'm gonna need you to play referee here."

"M, me?" Something about Ban made her skin crawl. Her kind was very entuned with nature, yet there seemed to be nothing natural about him.

"Yea..." He looked over his shoulder at Meliodas, who was wiping down a short sword, "see, we gotta go hunting for the pub, and Gowther makes a really crappy judge on who wins the hunt."

"He's only saying that because I'm always declared the winner," Meliodas winked at her.

"That's not true, damnit! Gowther doesn't weigh the danger involved! He just goes by dumb numbers!"

"Um," Elizabeth waved her arm, "as long as it is a successful hunt, isn't everyone the winner...? Except for the animals, of course."

Ban looked her over and eventually frowned, "Great. Another stick in the mud." He started walking out the door, "I'm outta here. Better get a move on Captain."

Hawk pranced back in, "Everything's ready to go Meliodas!"

The blonde knight walked to Elizabeth and poked the breast that her bundle of clothes were hugged against, "Whatcha got there?"

The elf jumped at his touch, but immediately started showing him what King had made for her, "Aren't they lovely?!"

Meliodas raised an eyebrow, "I guess he would know a thing or two about elf fashion, but I can't help but feel a little sad, Elizabeth."

She didn't want him to be sad! Why was he sad? It concerned her more than she thought it would, considering she'd only met him yesterday, "Why? Did I offend you?"

With a shrug, he just folded his arms. "No, I was just looking forward to taking you shopping. With those clothes, you won't need much anymore."

There he goes again, making her blush, "Oh... um..."

"That's alright," a sly smile grew, "we'll just have to focus on panties!"

" _FAT CHANCE BUSTER!_ " Hawk yelled at him.

Suddenly the entire building started to shake, more than shake. Elizabeth screamed when she concluded that the entire place must be coming down. She lost her footing and was caught by Meliodas, who was suddenly behind her. For once, he was holding her bridal style, like a true knight in shining armor. He smiled down at her, "Careful, Elizabeth. When the Boar Hat shakes, best find a snuggle buddy!" Squatting down with her in his arms, he waited out the worst of the rumbling. It was disorienting. She felt like the whole place had moved!

What's worse, is that when Meliodas had her in his arms—she felt completely safe. She couldn't imagine! Safe in the arms of a demon! What was wrong with her! They stood back up together, him supporting her until she found her feet. "You better now?" He asked sweetly.

"Yes... I, I think so. What is happening?"

"We're moving! I told you we were going to Camelot, didn't I?" Meliodas replied politely.

"You did," Elizabeth walked with shaky legs toward the door.

Meliodas took her hand, and smiled up at her when she looked down at him with surprise. "Watch your step! Come out here, you'll see!"

He helped her through the door where she stepped out onto a ground that was not grass. Not even close to grass. It looked like... coarse fur...?

"Meet Hawk's mom!" Meliodas gestured to the gargantuan round orb they and the entire pub were on.

It took her a moment and a few more explanations for her to understand that the building was actually built on the back of a giant pig. The whole idea was just so ludicrous! Before long, she managed to find a good standing, it was much like having to walk on a ship.

Once Meliodas was confident that the princess understood and able to handle her own feet, he knew it was time. "Elizabeth, I've got to go make sure Ban doesn't catch all the good stuff."

The worry in her eyes was touching, "You're leaving?"

"Yea, gotta to hunting." The look in her eyes warmed his soul in a way he'd thought only a handful of breast could.

"Umm... okay, Sir Meliodas."

"Hey now," He rose a hand to her cheek, "you'll be safe. We've still got Diane, King and Gowther here looking out for ya, and I'll be back soon." Then he winked at her, "even sooner if you call."

She nodded, and watched his smiling face jump off the moving boar.

 _Camelot huh? I've heard of that place. They have a new king if I'm not mistaken, and I've heard he's become rather popular with his people. I wonder if he's kind?_

She found herself dreaming up a handsome prince—everything that Prince Hendrickson was not. For some reason, her mental image of him looked more like a taller version of Meliodas than pure imagination. He was very handsome... for a human.

 _Hmm. Probably just some sort of demonic lure to pray on the simple minded though..._

Traveling with living legends was not going to be easy.

* * *

 **Ban keeps trying to walk over my keyboard guys! He's hindering my writing, shoving his little nose in my face. I love him so much, but I don't think he cares for my laptop!**

 **ONWARD TO CAMELOT! Oh I hope some of you are Monty Python fans, cuz this is gonna be fuuuuuuun!**

 **Lick Lick Lick!**

 **BettyBest2** **: Not bad: FREAKIN AWESOME! Oh, Ban's not gonna stop milkin Gowther's ignorance—it's just not in his blood! o.O And he's got a lot of blood.  
** **RainSorm2122** **: My fingers had completely stopped working I suppose! I added that 'Shortly' during the proof reading and... yea XD I don't think my Elizabeth is going to** _ **quite**_ **follow canon, being a supremely skilled archer, but atm she's too busy adjusting to get much of a chance to be the person outside the princess.  
Calantha S** **: I had fun too! =^.^= Meliodas is fun, oh so fun! Thank you! Your eyes are like moondrops reflecting from the pool of the fountain of youth.  
** **Anna** **: Tehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe!  
** **fanficlove2014** **: FF7 was more my thing, but FFX is a CLOSE 2** **nd. Considering my youngest daughter's name is Aerith... o.o;; Rikku fit the kitty kitty very well. Almost adopted a Blur Russian so I could have my very own Happy, but hubby wasn't goin for it! XD "We are NOT calling a cat Happy!" What a buzzkill right?! It was hard to win naming Ban over—BUT I PERSERVERED!  
** **rawrtsuna** **: fanfic goddess... fanfic goddess... mmmmmmm... if you were buttering me up... it sure as fuck worked! Holy SHIT! Best. Compliment. EVER. I'll start writing commandments soon if I don't watch that fat head of mine!  
** **knobrien21** **: Mischief the Calico cat! Love it! See, if you can name a cat Mischief, then I shoulda been able to name a cat Happy! XD ah well, couldn't adopt three, and Rikku and Ban are definitely a handful! :p Tell me all about lil Mischief!**

 **Seven reviews?! Just from lil o' chappie two?**

 **YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!**

 **Yeeeeees... Feed the insomnia to get more chapters. Tis a good strategy!  
Just for you my lovelies!  
Seriphia aka Lick!**

 **MERRY XMAS!**


	4. What is a Girlfriend? Wait WIFE?

**COMMANDMENT #1: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainSorm2122))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

* * *

What is a Girlfriend? Wait... WIFE?!

Elizabeth had never felt so free in all her life. Never considering that her freedom would come in the form of a humongous pig taking her to unknown lands just made it that much more exciting. She felt like a child on the eve of her new year! This was a wonderful chance to create a new Elizabeth, one that was not hindered by the traditions of royal life. A life without eyes judging her when she chose to play with faeries. She was free!

Feeling an uncontrollable urge to see if she could speak with Sir Hawk's mother, she walked up close to the boar's head, sat down and greeted it in the elvish tongue her people would use when communicating with intelligent creatures.

And Mama Pig just loved her for it! Not many bothered to talk with her, and she loved the opportunity to speak with the young princess. Mama Pig spoke directly into Elizabeth's mind, which, while not unheard of, made the elf fairly certain the pig was some sort of earth spirit—a child of the earth. She spoke of how she loved tea, indulged herself with truffles, and absolutely abhorred mice. Terrible little creepy things! Elizabeth also learned quite a few silly stories of Hawk as a piglet. Mama Pig was a delight!

After traveling til about midday, Elizabeth turned back toward the Boar Hat when she heard King calling for her. Bidding Mama Pig a hearty farewell, she lifted up, stretched, and ran to greet him with a heart that felt lighter than air.

King smiled when he saw her own bright smile, "You seem to be holding up alright, I was worried you might be homesick."

"Well, I certainly do miss my father, and sisters... and while I know Father will be disappointed in me, I know my sisters would understand should they learn about the marriage arrangements I hadn't known of yet. By the way," the elf frowned to the fairy, "how is it that _you_ knew about this plot?"

"Umm... yea, about that..."

Diane was walking beside Mama Pig, watching the two of them talk with a critical eye.

"Your father came to me about a year ago, concerned with tensions between the kingdoms." King hid bashfully behind his pillow.

"He came to you? But why?"

"Uh oh..." Diane interrupted, "here they come!" She laid a hand on Mama Pig's hide. "Let's set up shop right on the outside of this town. I can already smell it! Should be right on the other side of that hill."

Elizabeth yelped when suddenly the pig underfoot picked up speed, rushing to where Diane had said. She was rather proud that she'd managed to keep her footing. Much better than last night's waitressing catastrophe!

Diane ran alongside and looked over at the tiny princess, "Are ya nervous?"

Elizabeth tried to speak louder so that her voice would carry over the loud clomps of cloven hooves, "About what?"

"You have to judge who brought in the best food today." Diane winked at her and playfully stuck out her tongue, "no way is Ban gonna let you out of it!"

King was reclining on his pillow now, just floating along without any discomfort of Mama Pig's increased speed, "It's so ridiculous. Nobody cares but them!"

"The Captain indulges him because they're old friends. Ban's too dumb to do anything without getting bored. If it wasn't for a little competition, the guy would never bring anything back!" Diane complained.

Elizabeth giggled, "Is he really that bad?"

As if the Sin of Sloth had any business saying, he spoke with eyes lazily closed eyes, "Big day dreamer, that one."

Mama Pig rounded the corner of the hill, skidded to a stop and immediately burrowed into the ground. Elizabeth squealed an alarm and fell onto King's pillow, clinging to it for dear life as her entire world spun. As abruptly as it started, it stopped, giving the area a pained silence from all the previous noise ringing in her ears. The princess made a mental note to be off the giant pig next time she went underground. It had been much easier to handle her lifting up, than going back down.

 _Or perhaps it was because Sir Meliodas was there supporting me...?_

The blush she felt rising at the thought was rather unsettling. Get it together Elizabeth!

"Um... Elizabeth?" King squeaked, turning blue. Somehow, she had climbed up the pillow and now had her arms wrapped around his neck while she awaited the world to find solid ground. "You can let go now!"

"Oh!" She quickly let go, noticing the unmistakable scowl on the giant's face. "I'm so sorry, Harlequin!"

Diane opened her mouth to say something that didn't look to be particularly pleasant when an enormous bird fell directly in front of her. Elizabeth quickly stifled a laugh from hearing the feminine squeak coming from the large woman. Ban walked up triumphantly before Diane recovered from her surprise, "Getting a little slow there are we, Diane?"

With a large vein throbbing on her large head, she turned to Ban and yelled, "Damnit Ban! Nobody wants a dead smelly animal tossed right in front of them! Honestly! Of all the places you could have thrown that thing!"

"That thing is not smelly! That fowl happens to be a delicious delicacy!" Ban yelled back.

"Yea sure, Ban!" She spit her tongue out at him childishly with folded arms.

The tall man had a large bag slung over his shoulder that he gently set down and smirked, "So where's the Captain? His ass isn't back yet?"

King was lazing about on his floating pillow and opened one eye, "I'm sure he'll be along soon."

"And I'll bet he's got a _waaaay_ better catch than your stinky bird!" Diane continued, then suddenly grew a hint of bitterness, "it's not everyday the Captain has a princess to impress..."

"Impress... me?" The elven princess fidgeted.

"UGH!" Ban slammed a palm on his forehead, "Damned man probably went all out! _Fuck!_ " The man actually turned to head off to do more hunting when once again a dead creature was tossed onto the ground, this time landing in front of Ban—cutting off his exit. At one look at the beast, Ban cursed. "Shit! Do you have any idea how long it takes to cook these damn things?!"

Elizabeth practically jumped out of her skin when she heard the gentle voice of the Sin of Wrath right beside her saying, "Really? I usually cook them right after skinning them!"

Ban inspected the huge lizard-like creature that had been thrown in his path, mumbling, "Yea, that's probably why your cooking sucks so bad..."

 _How did he just... appear right next to me? I should have been able to hear him!_

Her ears were not just for show... damnit.

Ban sighed. "Alright, Princess. Is my delicious, succulent fowl better? Or Captain's diseased, scaly mess of a disaster better?"

The eyes of four Deadly Sins were on her. They wanted her to be the judge? Fine. She knew a thing or two about both of these creatures, and had spent much of her youth in the company of the castle's head cook—she had been a lovely little woman.

She approached the hunters' prey with a much more confident step than she felt. She bent over the bird (much to Meliodas' delight) and gave it a good look over before she straightened out and motioned to it. "The female roc is impressive. It cooks easily and if seasoned accurately, can indeed be the most delicious meal the people of this city may eat all year." Elizabeth tried looking neutrally between the two of them, "and by the sheer size of this creature, we would have no problem with a shortage of rations tonight." She nodded to Ban, hands clasped in front of her, "Very well done, Sir Ban."

The Sin of Greed beamed at her praise, sending a triumphant smirk Meliodas' way—who simply stood there with his own smile, awaiting Elizabeth's judgment.

"However." The Princess held up a finger, "the danger of hunting down a full grown basilisk outweighs that of the mighty roc—though both are potential fatal adversaries." She nearly lost her tedious hold on her feigned confidence when she noticed the slight raise of Meliodas' brow. Was he impressed that she'd known it was a basilisk? She may be a princess, but a big part of her key interests lied in the knowledge of living things. From the tiniest budding seed to the fiercest fire drake, much of her spare time had been spent reading about them in the massive library of Liones. "It is said, that by simply meeting the mighty basilisk's gaze will bring sudden, inescapable death." She continued, noticing Diane's elbow lightly poking the smaller Fairy King floating beside her. "Though I am certain that cooking such a beast will prove to take much more time, I am quite sure that patrons would come from far and wide to sample such a rarely hunted creature. The profit from him will be exponential."

Ban's smirk started to falter, where Meliodas' smile resumed without change. He stared at the little elf princess with his many thoughts masked behind that one simple expression.

After giving another look over both creatures, she turned back to the two competing knights. "It truly is close, but I'm afraid that I must leave my judgment to rest with Sir Meliodas. I just know the basilisk will bring more business to the Boar Hat, and with the smaller portions we'd serve—it would stretch just as far as the roc."

"You gotta be kidding me..." Ban grimaced.

Meliodas turned to his companion and grinned, "Better luck next time, Ban!"

"Oh Captain..." Ban's smile grew in a devilishly handsome way, "it's cute how you think you won."

"And I think it's cute how she said she'd 'leave her judgment to rest with me,' " Meliodas' smirk fell on Elizabeth.

Ban ignored the now blushing judge and sauntered over to the large, discarded bag he'd brought with him. "I figured whatever you managed to pull out of your ass would need a Ban style trump card, Capt. I didn't stop at just hunting down the bird. I also found its eggs." He pulled one of the many melon-sized eggs out of his sack.

Elizabeth deadpanned at the sight. Eggs? From a Roc's nest? But—

"H-how? Rocs build their nests high up on mountain cliffs!" She struggled to make her words legible through her surprise.

"Why does everyone doubt my mad skill at mountain climbing?" Ban set the egg back in the sack and raised his eyebrow at the elf, "damn. For a sheltered little elf girl, you sure do seem to know a lot about the outside." He looked over at King and pointed a thumb at Elizabeth, "you sure she's on the up and up here, Fairy?"

King fumed, "She's a princess, Ban! She's very well educated!"

With a wide grin he always grew when he got that kind of huffy reaction out of King, Ban chuckled, "Maaan, so touchy!" He then turned back to Elizabeth. "Well? How much does my extra credit count for?"

That whole bag was filled with those eggs? There could be no denying that finding a roc's nest was about as likely as a normal traveler besting a basilisk. She glanced nervously at Meliodas, but was surprised to see him with a fox faced grin. Holding back a sigh, she rescinded her judgment:

"Ban, Fox Sin of Greed, I must agree, your hunt of both roc and eggs, supersedes Sir Meliodas' spoils."

"HAH!" Ban jumped into the air with a pump of his fists. "Didja hear that, Capt?" Ban the Undead made a childish face at him, "you're girlfriend said _I_ was the better hunter! Toldja we needed a different judge! How many times did I tell ya Gowther was the wrong guy for the job?!"

"W-w-wait! I never said you were the better hunter! I wouldn't know that—wait, _girlfriend?_ What is that?" Was a girlfriend what they called Diane too? Somehow, the way Ban had said it made her think the word meant more than a female comrade.

Meliodas peeked an eye open long enough to say, "Congrats Ban! You finally did it! I'll betcha those are some great eggs!" He then reverted to his closed eye smile, took Elizabeth's hand and started walking to town. "Enjoy getting all the food ready for tonight! I'm pretty sure the lizard meat has to marinate for several hours if it's going to taste good."

"Hey!" Ban frowned at his captain's fleeting back, "you're not gonna help?!"

"Nope! I promised I'd take Elizabeth shopping today."

Elizabeth was the only one of the two who looked back as Meliodas continued walking, gently tugging her along.

Ban's eyes stared daggers at Meliodas' back. He threw his hands up and yelled toward the Boar Hat, "Gowther! Get your ass out here and help me with this!"

The Lust Sin poked his head out the door and placed his newly wiped glasses back on, "Very well, but I'm keeping the basilisk's eyes."

"Yea..." Ban looked at the Sin bewildered, "whatever man." Those eyes wouldn't kill him alive, what danger could they be if they were dead? He'd let the little nerd have his toys.

^.~

There were three distinct differences between elven markets and human markets.

Volume. It seemed that every vendor here needed to cry their wares out louder than the person next to them. It was like a madhouse of screams.

Obtrusive! Many people would shove what they were selling right in your face, how can anyone sell anything so rudely?

The stink! So many different foodstuffs at once and honestly, how long has it been since some of these people bathed? Not that she could talk really, she hadn't bathed since the night before she went searching for Harlequin's Deadly Sins.

 _Or... Sir Meliodas' Deadly Sins, I suppose._

The first place he stopped at was at a vendor's cart of fine fabrics. From satin to soft cotton, this woman seemed to have a good stock of whatever one might need. Elizabeth's ears perked when she heard him say something just low enough for her keen hearing, though he wasn't blatantly whispering to her. "There aren't many elven travelers, Elizabeth. Word will get around that you were here. As much as I hate to say it, we should get you a scarf to cover your ears before it might become a problem."

"Oh... yes, I see." Hearing about an elf close to Camelot would be a decent lead for any hunters her father might send out. She started searching for a fabric thick enough to possibly pin her ears down.

"Those are fairly warm for this season, M'lady," The vendor spoke sweetly, "Perhaps you and your husband can find what you're looking for over here?"

Her fresh blush was from many different reasons all at the same time, Of course, the woman calling Meliodas her husband was the first, the second being his sudden response cutting off her reply, and third was where his hand found a tender grasp of her rear at the first implication that they might be married.

"Oh no thanks," He smiled to the saleswoman while he gripped his 'wife' unashamed, "these over here are exactly what she's been looking for."

Elizabeth turned on him to protest for the sake of her own honor, but as soon as she faced him, his hand from behind her met with her breast as he leaned toward her and brushed his lips ever so slightly on the very corner of hers. Her heart did cartwheels in her chest as time seemed to slow while she felt his warm breath against her skin. It was nothing as forward as a kiss by any means, but to Elizabeth, it was the most intimate gesture she'd ever been party to—and the fraction of a moment that his motions spent, shut her protests up better than a dragon could strike down a weary knight.

"I'll be right back, darling. One minute is all."

Staring at his retreating form walking to another nearby kiosk, Elizabeth watched the man instead of the demon. Her heart was thumping so hard it should have been leaping past her bones.

With more effort than what should have been required, she turned her head back to the cloths in front of her. Perhaps she should get one big enough to wrap over her hair _and_ cross over her face, at least then her constant blushing might be hidden! Her skin tingled where his lips had touched. Many of her brethren have kissed her in greeting before, once on both cheeks—and those were actual kisses, not like the not/kiss that Meliodas had just done—but none of those had even come near to the same feelings that was sparking within her now.

 _What is it about this man? None of the stories Harlequin told made him out to be like this! Kind and generous_... _excessively affectionate. Wait! What if he's not usually like this? When is the other shoe going to drop?! He is a demon right? Aren't they prone to sporadic behavior?_

"Didja find a keeper yet?" His voice was _right_ next to her.

Perhaps elves were part cat... the way she jumped and ' _nyaaah'ed'_ was simply too feline. How does he keep coming up on her without her knowing? Her hearing was superb, _damnit!_

"Oh! Uh, yes!" Elizabeth quickly grabbed one with mostly Autumn colors, "then one will do lovely."

Meliodas wrapped his arm around her waist and handed it to the saleswoman with a content smile. The nosy woman asked politely, "So how long have you two been married?"

"Oh, I uh..." Elizabeth stuttered.

"We're on our way to our honeymoon!"

 _Gaaaahh... well, I suppose that would explain all my blushing! He's picking on me again!_

The woman grew a twinkle in her eye and eyed Elizabeth up and down, "Don't fret dear, it looks like you have a sturdy husband there, he'll take care of you!" She guffawed when she saw my eyes widen and slapped the table in her chortles. "I'll tell ya what! You take this, and this, and this, oh! And let's grab you three of these, and two of these! On the house from one who loves a couple of youngsters settling down!" She winked at my (probably terrified) face, "get creative! They'll help cover what you're a little nervous to show off!"

"That's very kind of you! Thank you, and I'm sure she'll thank you for the advice..." he passed a knowing glance at his 'wife', "eventually."

Meliodas shared another chuckle with the woman before replacing his hand on Elizabeth's hip and guided her away. As they walked, Elizabeth slowly gathered her wits back. They were supposed to be playing the happy couple, hmm?

"Umm, darling?" This felt too weird.

"Yes, Buttercup?" Meliodas was loving it, and the hand of his creeping below her hip.

"Why um... did we—deceive that nice woman?"

Meliodas shrugged, "It made her happy, didn't it?"

"Well... yes, but..." She struggled.

With his hand now resting on her bottom, he gripped it lightly, "Besides, I had to do something as payback for not getting my drink last night."

Gasping at the warmth of his grip, Elizabeth quickly diverted his attention, "So what is in that other bag you're carrying?"

His grinned widely like he was proud of himself and used both his hands to hold the bag to her, "You seem like the shy type, so I figured I'd spare you some embarrassment and picked you out some!"

Elizabeth eyed him suspiciously, but ended taking the bag from him—curiosity typically getting the best of her. She looked in the bag and began glowing a crimson beacon for all to see. Panties! So many different colors and fabrics... oh it was just too much!

 _He picked out my... intimates._

 _Oh Goddesses, you had planned for me to fall out of that tree... right...?_

With her long ears twitching, she looked up from the bag and back at the man in front of her. He still appeared to be rather proud of himself. "Umm..." She shouldn't make a scene, no, crawling into a deep dark corner and dying would be more reasonable.

"Unless you want to try on a few dresses, we could probably head back now. I'm sure that by now someone's scrounged up something for dinner!"

That must be it. Sir Meliodas had a superpower: and it was called redirection. Walking next to him, she watched him from the corner of her eyes. He was just innocently walking, with those hands of his tucked into his pockets. Wait, when did he take the bags back from her? Both bags were looped around his wrist. She sighed, suppressing the smile threatening to escape as she wondered how many times that superpower of his had gotten him out of trouble.

"Dresses won't be necessary, Sir Meliodas. Considering we never had lunch, food is a much better idea."

Meliodas grinned up at her, "As you wish!"

^.~

With Diane caterwauling the Boar Hat's opening, the hungry and the jubilant came in droves. Gowther had supplied Elizabeth with the dreaded uniform and this was to be business as usual. The pub was far more packed today than yesterday. One of the few occasions Elizabeth had a free moment at the bar, she'd commented on it to Meliodas.

"It's because we're so close to Camelot." He smiled at her, wiping down a mug, "there's bigger villages closer to the capitol."

"Sir Meliodas?"

"Yes Elizabeth?"

"You haven't told me why your band is heading there. Isn't Camelot adjusting to a new king?"

"Meliodas!" Hawk squeaked, "you pig! Gowther told me about your little _'shopping'_ trip! You don't get to waste her time chatting! Back to work!"

The basilisk meat was a hit. Ban promised it would be better tomorrow, but he served up some kind of bask-tofu tonight that had the consumers ordering seconds. The eggs weren't on the menu (greedy fox must have wanted to keep them for himself), and the patrons enjoyed the roc meat too. Elizabeth considered it far better than the blue chicks her kingdom bred.

The princess was rather proud of herself tonight. She made it a point to crack the windows open when she started to feel dizzy and the slight breeze did her wonders. Only once did she take a tumble, and that was when she'd tripped over someone's chair leg. That fall of hers did happen to trigger many creative minds; eager to concoct various stories as to how she got the many bruises on her legs. Humans must either very imaginative—or simply extremely nosy.

She was beginning to feel more comfortable around the rowdy humans when the door slammed open to reveal a man breathing hard. "It's Kay! His knights are here to take the town!"

Many murmurs were echoing within the walls until Meliodas jumped onto the counter top, "Fellas! Don't be scared! I want you all to take shelter in your home. Those guys won't make it past the Boar Hat."

"Really Capt?" Ban tossed the skillet over his shoulder, "you really mean it?"

Meliodas looked over his shoulder at his friend and smirked, "That's what we're here for right?"

"Hell yeah!" Ban tossed himself over the bar and glanced at everyone still sitting there, slack-jawed at the small man guaranteeing their safety. "Well what the fuck are you still doing here? The Captain said to get outta here!"

Truly, Ban the Undead had a way with people. The tavern cleared out quickly after that, and Meliodas called for Hawk. "Go make sure Princess Elizabeth is safe!"

"Right!" The piggy would have saluted if it had been possible and turned to the elf girl.

Except... she wasn't there.

Hawk squealed as only a piglet could and started running around everywhere, calling for her. He even checked between Meliodas' legs, making him head dive off the counter. "Don't worry Meliodas! I'll find her! You can count on me!"

Meliodas flipped over onto his back, rubbing his head, "I know you will, Hawk."

^.~

The second that the man had mentioned Sir Kay's name, Elizabeth had raced to the room she shared with Meliodas and donned one of the sets of clothes King had made for her. Her haste had her choosing a skirt because of the stocking she'd left on. Wearing greens would conceal her better than orange and reds, so that was her quick choice. With a sturdy pair of boots and her quiver slung on her back, she ran to the balcony and deftly pulled herself up onto the roof. As soon as her feet landed on the tall slope, the dexterous elf ran to the top peak of the Boar Hat and crouched down, checking the string on her bow.

As soon as hoof beats resounded outside, Sins of Lust, Sloth, Envy, Greed and Wrath stood outside to greet them. Their stance was casual and confident, obviously standing in the way of the group of twenty-so knights all clad in shining metal armor on purpose. The leader of the group held up a fist and halted the others. Their organization was impressive, these men were no mere bandits.

"By order of the one true King Kay, I command that you move aside! This town has followed the usurper Arthur for far too long. We are here to reclaim it."

"That's gonna be a problem." Meliodas smiled, "see, we don't make a habit of letting bullies by."

The mounted knight appeared confused, "I see you feel rather mighty with a giant in your ranks, but I assure you. If your party does not step aside, twenty-three of King Kay's knights will show you no mercy!"

Diane laughed, "He only brought twenty-three? To take control of an entire town? You're kidding right?"

Meliodas folded his arms and grinned mischievously, "I don't think you should underestimate our little party."

That sounded like a cue to Elizabeth. She fired a warning shot down at the horses' feet but before it had a chance to hit the ground, she swung around the top of the roof and slid down the other side, quickly firing another shot, then scaled around the roof to shoot one more.

The horses thumped their hooves nervously as it seemed that three arrows dug into the ground around them from different angles. So much for their organization! The knights started barking orders to each other until the leader silenced them. "A few archers will not stop us, rebel!"

The smirk of the blonde Sin's face widened as he suddenly rushed the speaker with the same speed Elizabeth hadn't been able to see yesterday. Quicker than anyone should be able to move, Meliodas' knee was crashing into the knight's face. His helmet collapsed inward as if it was fresh from the forge instead of cool steel. The man in armor toppled off the horse Meliodas was now squatting on.

"Next thing I'm gonna do is let Sir Ban loose." Meliodas' face was draped in shadow, but his half smile gleamed in the moonlight.

Twenty-two knights looked down at their leader unmoving on the ground, then back up at the man on his horse. One of them started to say something to rally the rest, but Ban laughed at him and quickly struck with his three sectioned staff that seemed to grow as he lashed out with it. The weapon snatched the man's head, and dragged him back to Ban. There Ban smiled broadly and held up the knight who'd dared speak by his head with ease. "Anyone else gotta big mouth? I suggest you all turn around."

Another three arrows whizzed down between horses; two of them flying right next to both sides of Meliodas' head. Was this Elizabeth's own brand of payback? Trying to make him jump was she? Doubt ebbed into the hearts of the men as the horses danced on nervous feet. One of the twenty-one men who managed to regain control of his horse said, "Head back men, this village isn't worth it... tis a silly place."

The decision was favored by all around when the knights turned and headed back the way they came. Meliodas jumped from the horse he had perched on and slapped its rump, sending it running with the others. He focused on one of the arrows stuck in the ground, bent down and pulled it from the earth, his smile morphing from a dragon's will to fight to one of a dragon's love to play.

"Wow!" Diane looked down at the princess still on the roof, "that was amazing Elizabeth! I had no idea you could actually use that thing!"

Ban grunted, "Obviously she can't! She didn't even hit a damn one of them!"

"I don't think she wanted to." King frowned at his companion, "she was making them think there were more than just the five of us on the ground." He cupped his hands and yelled up to the girl, "you can shoot Ban in the chest if you like! No one would blame you!"

Ban laughed, "Yea, come on little princess! Get your hands dirty for a change!"

Meliodas had been gathering up the arrows while they talked. With all of them in his hand, he smirked at Ban, "With enough time, she'll want to stab you in the heart just like the rest of us. Don't worry." He headed back into the bar and turned around to look at his comrades, "lets have a drink!"

"AYE!"

The Sins rolled out a couple dozen tankards while their captain went upstairs, with a fist full of arrows, to share a few words with a certain crack shot princess.

* * *

 **Mwahahaha! Writing this was so much fun! I love it when it's nighttime—can you tell? XD!**

 **Thank you guys for reviewing! I'm always super paranoid I don't respond properly to everyone, but everyone who reviews deserves a lickin, so here we go!**

 **MYLUV** **: I had thought it was Karma Sutra too: but I googled it ((Yea I did! XD)) and it says the ancient 'sex book' is Kama Sutra! It wasn't a typo! T.T Like... this whole time I've been mispronouncing it! I'm sure by now there's probably a** _ **Karma Sutra**_ **book out there somewhere though!  
** **SilverLightOfDawn : I shall try to continue on, Meliodas is starting to get tricky—especially now that he knows my elven version of Liz isn't all that helpless in a fight! ;D PS: tytytyty for the manga information! LOVE IT!  
** **BettyBest2** **: Well, who could? *grin* After all, Camelot tis a silly place!  
** **RainSorm2122** **: MY FIRST COMMANDMENT! YAAAAAS! My commandments shall be written by the people—FOR the people! Let's see more commandments! SO KEWL!  
** **Guest** **: More? Mmmmmkay! Lovin it! All these reviews had me DYING to write more!  
** **rawrtsuna** **: Nice! Work reading! Diane and King? Nyaaaaah! Ure crazy! Why you so KraYzie? Definitely workin a creep factor with lil Gowther, oh he's just so CUTE, and Ban, pah! Ban doesn't necessarily like anyone! :p Never fear, Insomnia and I came to a mutual understanding a long time ago. :D  
** **Deamonik** **: If you're still on just chappie one, you may not see this for a lil while: BUT I LOVE YOU TOO! You deserves the lickies! Oh, Ban? Ohhhhh Ban... he is sabotaging me in all my endeavors! He's still living up to his name! XD** _ **Thank you so much!**_ **My sissy actually recorded us playing with him today. She claimed that she intended to put it on that thing with a U and a tube. We'll see. o.O;;  
** **lapisdreamer** **: Hope you enjoyed the reading! I like to lick you too! Nummy! And yea, I had a lot of fun with elf/wife/badass Ellie today! XD**

 **Eight reviews? YAY! That's one more than last time!  
** **7+1=8 o.o WOW!**

 **THANK YOU!  
** **Merry X-mas at LEAST once more!**

 **Just for you.  
** **Seriphia  
aka  
Lick**

 ***~.❄.~***


	5. Giggles and Tumbles and Creams, Oh My!

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))**

 **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

Giggles and Tumbles and Creams  
 _Oh My!_

Diane held a barrel as though it was a mug as she took a large, rewarding chug. A small smile decorated her face when she stopped for a breath. Her eyes peeked open and she scanned the area as she lounged on the grass. King sat next to her as usual, floating on his pillow level to her shoulder enjoying his own mug at a leisurely pace. Then there was loud and obnoxious Ban, teasing Gowther. Wait... he wasn't teasing him—he was-

She sat up quickly and growled, "Ban! You need to stop trying to swindle him out of his money! Nobody cares about any of that!"

Ban looked up from where he squatted in front of Gowther and frowned, "A little early to be a buzzkill isn't it, Diane?"

King opened his eyes and lifted a finger to the sky, a small narrow blade appearing above it. Effortlessly (except for the yawn he inhaled, only to exhale), King pointed his raised finger down at Ban, shooting the blade right into the wrist attached to the hand Ban was using to hold his mug. "If anyone's a buzzkill around here, it's you."

Ban gave the blade penetrating his wrist an unsavory look. "Hey Gowther," a grin respawned on his wide mouth. "Got a better idea," the Fox Sin stood up, topped off his mug, dropped it and slowly pulled King's trifle of a pointy object from his wrist. "I'm gonna wager that it takes this guy about twenty more tries to hit me again." By this time, Ban's grin was showing his canines.

Gowther adjusted his glasses and weighed his options, "Sir King is quite adept with his Chastiefol... yes. I think the chances are in my favor that you will certainly be penetrated before the twentieth shot."

Diane grew a wide smile and leaned forward to her hands and knees, "Now this is a bet I can wrap my head around!" She looked over her shoulder at the fairy king who was beginning to look confused and nervous, "turn him into a pincushion, King!"

Ban laughed, "Fine Diane, I don't mind takin' your money either." He spread his feet out in a ready stance, "come on, Grizzly! You started it, after all."

Diane glanced back at the Boar Hat, "Where's the Captain? He should get in on this too!"

"Don't you worry that pretty little head of yours. I couldn't possibly take anyone else's money!" Ban shrugged casually, "two birds with one stone is good enough for me." (and they had the nerve to call him the Sin of Greed! That there was pure, loving, selflessness!) His eyes widened as he suddenly danced around three long, narrow blades that shot down at him.

"Ready when you are!" King smirked, happy to have a chance to impress Diane.

Ban looked up at his fellow Sin floating before him with a grin that relished the challenge, "That's three and I'm still not bleeding, Lover Boy!"

^.~

Meliodas had to pull himself up onto the roof from his bedroom balcony and walk around the back to find the princess sitting on the far side, staring at the town. He knew his approach was heard from the tattle tell of her ear twitching, so he stopped walking and stood there with his hands tucked into his pockets. It was fine with him if she just wanted to sit there in silence, so long as he got to appreciate the way the moon reflected off her hair. When she spoke though, he saw as an invitation to go sit next to her and dangle his legs off the roof, solitude was not what she wanted—or expected, anyway.

"Sir Kay... I know that name. He has had dealings with the drow elves before. I've heard his name come up in my father's conferences before."

Meliodas' eyebrows went up in honest surprise, "Oh really? That can't be good."

Elizabeth was sitting on the roof's edge, hugging her knees, resting her chin on them. The knight couldn't help but think her contemplative fetal position was cute, and vaguely graze over the pondering of how flexible she was. His mind had started to wander south when suddenly her face turned to his, worry filling in the color of her eyes, "Those men called Arthur a usurper, could that be true?"

Why did this worry her so much? Her kingdom rested far away from Camelot and its strife. Meliodas grew a half smile as he realized that this princess had, indeed, been brought up to rule a kingdom. Baltra had done right by her... so why was he having talks of marrying her off to the Drows? He'd already known that there was more to her than just a pretty little elf to look at, but what he was discovering was becoming more and more enlightening. He smiled at her, hoping to put her fears to rest by simply saying two words. "Absolutely not."

The elf's eyes grew round and she tilted her head, her ears laying slightly more horizontal on her head. That must be her 'tell' for when her curiosity strikes her. Her ears rested like that right before she checked the bag he'd given her at the market today as well. Pale lips formed her words silently before she spoke—she was considering her words before she said anything. Daddy always told her to think before she spoke, hmm? "Sir Meliodas, how can you say that without any doubt?"

"It's simple." He gave her a playful smile, "because Arthur pulled the sword from the stone."

"Oh..." Elizabeth looked away before she frowned, obviously not wanting to offend him with her lack of faith that such a story is a worthy way to pick a monarch.

He chuckled, "It's not as crazy as it sounds." Meliodas propped a foot on the edge of the roof and reclined on his palms, looking up at the starry sky. "You see, it was a Sin, one of us, that took Excalibur from Uther Pendragon when he proved no longer worthy of it. The people's faith in him was corrupted, so Merlin, Boar Sin of Gluttony and greatest mage in Britannia, cast the holy sword into stone, setting a spell on it."

Meliodas could tell that Elizabeth was trying very hard to keep the skepticism from her voice, "The spell that claimed that only the man who could pull it from the stone is worthy to be king?"

Glancing at her profile from the corner of his eyes, he smiled, "That's the one!"

"Such a thing is true?"

"Yup!"

She was struggling to understand what Meliodas was taking so lightly, "How is it that you are so sure?"

"Because Merlin is the one who did it." He fully turned to her now and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "stay with us long enough, and you'll learn to have the same kind of faith in the people here that I do. If Merlin cast a spell, then that spell works."

"So Kay simply thinks to take it from Arthur because he is the elder brother?"

Meliodas nodded, his casual smile growing brighter as she seemed to better understand, "It would seem so!"

They sat there in silence long enough for the Sin of Wrath to decide to change the subject. He pulled out one of the elven arrows he'd tucked away in his vest and started cleaning his fingernails with it. Sure as dragons love to steal princesses, Elizabeth noticed quickly. Her eyes widened and her ears perked, "Oh! You, you collected my arrows?"

"Yep." He kept his eyes on the tip of the arrow he was using, "never waste a good weapon."

"I... I was going to get them once I came down."

"The feather on this little guy," Meliodas looked over at her, and leaned the fletching of her arrow on his ear, "tickled me right here."

The sly smile he spawned from the look Elizabeth grew could have reviled one of Ban's. She seriously looked like she'd just been caught in the cookie jar! And Meliodas was looking forward to her next attempt...

"It... uh, it did, did it?" She leaned away from him so slightly, she may not have noticed she was doing it.

"Tell me something." The knight in front of her looked up and tapped the tip of her arrow on his chin, "is tickling something you do often? Cuz, to me it seems like it should fit somewhere along the lines of, 'Don't poke the bear.' "

She was starting to wiggle nervously, "Oh really...? Well um..." Elizabeth did not miss the sudden glimmer in the man's eye.

Meliodas scooted closer to the hesitant elf and with the most _unimaginable_ face a pure innocence, he poked her just below the ribs.

A most refreshing squeak of a giggle escaped from her lips and the knight beside her knew she was done for. He'd be tickling her for the rest of his life if she'd let him. The grin on his face grew as mischievous as the twinkle in his eye and he leaned over her and started tickling her like his life depended on it. Elizabeth was at his complete mercy and it didn't seem like he had any left.

Well... he had just let a band of enemies run home with their tail between their legs! They'd even let the injured ones drag themselves off! He wasn't _made_ of forgiveness after all, and this little elf thought she could get away with shooting an arrow close enough to give him a shave?

Naah, she had it coming.

The princess was laughing and squirming under him frantically, and Meliodas got plenty of groping fitted in with the tickling too, he was having such a blast! He definitely enjoyed that smile of hers, as well as the sweet sound of her laughter. The fun continued, until gravity took its claim on the Dragon Sin's pleasure.

Fancy talk for: the two of them fell off the roof.

Meliodas had been in enough falls in his long life to know how to make sure who broke who's fall, and for the first time in a long, _long_ time—he wanted to break hers. Manipulating their tumble so that she was on top of him was easy. The hard part was acting like his heavy breathing was coming from the impact, and not from the sexy elf princess landing belly first on top of him. Hands with a mind of their own, immediately found purchase on her beautifully sculpted lower cheeks. It was simply a bonus that they made it there before her skirt fluttered down with the rest of her.

He looked deeply into her eyes and smiled cheerfully, "Well hi there!"

It was sweet how she looked worried, "Oh goodness! Sir Meliodas! Are you okay?" She scrambled off of him, leaving his hands cold with loneliness and fretted about him, "I'm so sorry!"

The blonde troublemaker sat up with a mostly feigned wince, "Yea, serves me right. Probably shouldn't make a habit of rough housing _on_ a house..."

By that time Elizabeth was sitting near him with her legs neatly tucked under her, and the whole scenario replayed in her head. She snickered, chuckled, and started giggling. His goofy little joke wouldn't have been funny except that they'd just experienced it the hard way.

Behind them, Diane and King curiously poked their heads around the pub to see what all the commotion was about, while Ban made sure Gowther finished paying him his money. The Fox Sin's grin was very satisfied—he was on one hell of a winning streak!

^.~

Elizabeth and Meliodas had joined the rest when Ban challenged Meliodas to a drinking contest. It wasn't really a contest, but the competitive spirit between them certainly livened up the atmosphere. Those two seemed to have an unbreakable brotherly bond, and the princess couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed to much.

Diane started telling her about the Camelot bath houses. She winked at Elizabeth and said she hoped she'd find them one tomorrow. The elf off-handedly commented on how big they must be, but King just chuckled and told her that Diane kept some shrinking potions on her for special occasions.

"And taking a princess to her first bathhouse is _definitely_ a special occasion!" Diane winked at her.

Ban was sitting next to an alcoholically flushed Meliodas, and felt it was his duty to fuck with that goofy grin the guy was growing while he watched Diane and Elizabeth converse about hot, steamy wetness. He stood up and hiked his foot to kick him flat on the side of his face, but right at that moment, Meliodas bent over to pick up a small stone. He sat back up straight and started to examine it while Ban stumbled ungracefully to stay on his feet. Ban turned around and frowned at Meliodas, now twice as determined to land a hit and moved unnaturally fast to grapple him in a headlock.

Except... that was the same time Meliodas decided to toss the stone in the air—landing a direct hit between Ban's eyes. The captain looked up at Ban innocently as the tall man fell to the ground, "What's the matter, Ban? Drink too much?"

Now Ban knew that 'casual toss' was no accident, Meliodas had thrown it _hard_ , but he'd made it look like such a fluke! Sure, Ban could play along and claim he had too much to drink if it meant saving face. At least that way, his winning streak would remain untarnished. "Yea... think I'm gonna head up to bed. Got a nice vacation tomorrow, heh, no hunting necessary!"

Meliodas stood up and stretched, "We're definitely free to cover a lot of ground tomorrow. It's probably time to turn in."

"A good thing, too," King frowned, "The king will want to know that knights loyal to his brother came for this town as soon as possible."

Slowly finding her way to her feet, Elizabeth took a step back when she realized Ban had somehow made his way far too close to her. He had a discontented curve to his eyebrows and held a drink out, "Sure you don't want to take a drink? It could help ya sleep." His lips curved into a scandalous smirk, "he snores, ya know."

That smile of his turned into a look of irritated pain when Meliodas grabbed his ear and started pulling the taller man inside, "Alright Ban, she said she didn't want a drink—so she doesn't want a drink! Weren't you just going to bed?"

Elizabeth stared at the two until the door closed behind them. She looked up curiously at the Giant sitting next to her, discovering she had a disapproving glare glued on the Boar Hat's front door. Diane clicked her tongue, then returned her gaze to the princess, "Ya know... no one would blame you if you slept out here with us. The Captain doesn't know how to behave nowadays."

"Oh! Um..." Elizabeth gave them a nervous smile, "it'll be fine. With Sir Kay's knights around, I think I'd prefer to be inside."

She quickly made her way indoors, leaving King and Diane looking at her departure with a few inquisitive thoughts mulling around in their heads.

Loud clangs and bangs could be heard up in the small third story bedroom but Elizabeth didn't get much of a chance to think on it when Hawk came clomping up to her, "Big day tomorrow! If Mama starts early tomorrow morning, we should be able to make it to the castle by evening!"

"Really?" The princess tilted her head, "we've traveled that far already?"

Hawk beamed, "Never underestimate the miles a pig can take you!"

Elizabeth giggled at the sweet pride he held for his mother, it reflected the pride she held for him rather well.

"Speaking of piggies!" One of his ears lifted, hearing that the crashes upstairs were lessening, "we better get your little piggies ready for bed before Meliodas' butt makes it to the bedroom!"

Not quite understanding the pig's lingo, she did understand that she was fully ready to lay down. Hawk rushed her upstairs and stoically promised to wait by the door until she was decent.

Alone in the demon's room again... her eyes darted around, noticing that the uniform she'd quickly discarded in her haste to get to the roof was gone. While that was missing, a fresh wash bowl and cloth were on the desk. Next to it was a note with a surprisingly neat hand.

 _Upon Diane's reprimand, I am to let you know when I remove something of yours from the room you share with the Captain: I took your clothes from the floor and prepared you the basic cleansing requirements. I have read that princesses are clean, so I thought you might appreciate it. I took the liberty of scenting it with jasmine, as I recall that the Captain seems to favor it. Since you are so forward as to share his bed, I thought you might fancy it. If you think that letters like this is as unnecessary as I do, please let me know, for I find it a pointless endeavor to partake in._

 _Gowther_

Elizabeth lowered the letter with an embarrassed twitch.

 _Since you are so forward as to share his bed._

She repeated the line in her head as she thought about the mind reading doll. He certainly wasn't the type of person to sugarcoat anything... did he somehow know that she had thought of a bath briefly today? What did it take for Gowther to read minds? More to the point... she was expected to use this to wipe herself down in a, er, man's room?

The water did smell heavenly. Hawk was watching outside, everything would be fine.

^.~

The heart of the captain felt lighter after his private spar with the Fox Sin. His walk downstairs met with a pig guarding his own bedroom's door. He never even stopped, yet Hawk still had the poor manners to demand he keep walking.

What is this world coming to?

Once on the ground floor, he heard someone digging around behind the counter. Meliodas shook his head and put his hands on his hips. "Gowther? Is that you?"

The Sin stood up immediately, his head poking out from the other side of the bar and adjusted his glasses before speaking. "Yes, Captain. I had hoped to find a jar and vinegar for the eyes I have procured today."

"...Eyes?"

Gowther titled his head, "Why yes, from the basilisk you slew."

"Oh! Hmmm..." What did he want those things for? Whatever. "Top shelf up there," Meliodas pointed, "for the jar, and under the drain there for the vinegar."

A head of pink hair bowed formally, "Many thanks, Captain."

"...Mmmhmmm." The blonde planced his hands back into his pockets and walked outside.

It would seem that Diane and King were having a heated conversation that he wasn't very keen on interrupting.

"—is all I'm saying," Diane huffed.

"But-but-but Diane! After we reach Camelot who knows when another—" the fairy king's head pivoted around when he heard Meliodas scrape his foot against the wall of his tavern. "Captain! You're back! I-I-I-I thought you were turning in!"

The blonde knight turned to them with round eyes and raised brows, "Me? I am."

King was floating just a tad above the ground and he looked to his captain with a look of mistrust, "And what does that have to do with being _outside_ instead of _inside?"_

Meliodas looked up at the building and hummed to himself, "With double occupants, we wouldn't want the door to get worn out."

Diane blinked, "You don't want to just go through the door...?"

Meliodas smirked, bracing himself for a jump. "Gotta think outside the box every now and then, Diane."

The giant folded her arms childishly when her captain leaped up onto his balcony with a head over heels flip that was obvious showboating in her opinion. "Someone my size thinks outside the box plenty!"

"Of course you do, Diane! You've got to!" Meliodas heard King respond as he unlatched the small glass door leading into his bedroom.

An elf princess with glistening wet hair stood at his closet draped in one of his shirts. From the way her arms were held, it looked like she was still fastening the buttons. Meliodas stuffed his hands back in his pockets and said, "Smells great in here!"

Elizabeth went stiff as a board before she quickly whipped around in surprise. The poor girl had only just finished two of the buttons, causing the shirt to billow with her movements; he learned that her panties were blue, and the lower part of her cleavage held no tan line whatsoever. "Sir, Sir Meliodas! I didn't hear you come in!"

He heard a pig stir outside the door, and walked up to her with a playful smile, quickly buttoning up the buttons she had yet to fasten, "I like to keep him on his toes."

The door flung open with Meliodas squatting in front of her, buttoning the final bottom button (he'd left several buttons at the collar undone—there just simply wasn't time for all of them!). "Meliodas!" Hawk squealed, running in at top speed and flattening the knight under his hooves. "You pig! You knew I was guarding the door! What'd you do?! Come in through the window?"

Meliodas held his hands up in surrender at the pig that now stood on his chest with a fox-faced grin, "You got me!"

Hawk looked up at the wide-eyed, frozen princess, "Elizabeth! Are you okay? He didn't touch you did he?"

"Um, no! ...Actually, he didn't." He hadn't... huh. Miracles happen.

"I knew you'd be bursting in here, so I made sure she was decent!" Meliodas was a hero! Not a miscreant.

"Just because you—" Hawk looked back down at the man underfoot, hesitating, "and she—" suddenly the pig was off of Meliodas, and in front of Elizabeth with his head lowered. "I'm so sorry Elizabeth!"

With a sweatdrop forming on the nervous princess' head, "It's alright Sir Hawk! Everything is fine!"

"Meliodas!" Hawk turned back at his partner, "where's that rope!?"

The knight shrugged with his patent half smile. "Who knows? Check with Gowther, he seems to be collecting odds and ends."

Hardly thinking fifty feet of rope as an odd and end, Hawk snorted and promised he'd be:

" _Right  
back!"_

And hurried out to find rope as fast as his little piggy feet could carry him.

Meliodas sat up, appreciating the view from down there, "Ya know, I have some cream Merlin gave me that would really help with those bruises. Works magic, your legs look like they hurt."

Elizabeth bent her neck to the side and gave one of her legs a look over, lifting her foot off the ground slightly, "They have been aching today."

She yelped in surprise when the Sin Captain lifted her up by her hips and seated her on the edge of his bed. Without even glancing at her, he turned toward a dresser he started to dig through, "Just a sec."

True to his word, he returned in three breaths with a small jar of clear cream and knelt down in front of her. Elizabeth started blushing as he started to rub the ointment on her legs without hesitation. He had a soft smile and started to speak while his eyes stayed on her legs, just as her eyes rested on his surprisingly gentle hands. "Cream would be a great way to start a honey moon."

"H, honeymoon, Sir Meliodas...?"

His lifted her first leg over his shoulder so he could smooth the ointment on the back part of her upper thigh with a chaotic twinkle in his eye, "Well, yea. Things could only get better if your partner is slippery."

Elizabeth lowered her leg as he moved to the other and gasped, "Goodness! My leg! It tingles, but it doesn't hurt anymore!"

Meliodas nodded, "Yup. Toldja, Merlin makes the good stuff!"

Elizabeth couldn't help but feel warm from his touch. Far too many emotions were swimming around in her head to try and sort through while his fingers were making tiny little swirls up and down her leg. Meliodas' honesty struck her again when he suddenly said:

"It was a lot of fun being your husband today."

Her blush grew a bit deeper, "It, it was...? Umm..." Think, Elizabeth, think! You have a deft tongue if you'll just _use it!_ "And um, what will you pretend to be tomorrow?"

Meliodas lowered her other leg and stood up, placing the lid back on the jar and shook his head at her ruefully, "No more pretending after today." He turned around and tucked the jar back in his dresser and looked over his shoulder at her, "I'll just be your knight in shining armor."

Inhaling deeply, Elizabeth sank into his ageless pools of green eyes. Her people always said the eyes were windows into the soul, and she found herself wanting to know his. To promise your knighthood to a princess should not be taken lightly—then again—neither should the choice to harbor a runaway. Whatever his reason, he was either a daft fool, or a fearless one.

And this fool was a man she couldn't seem to break eye contact with.

Meliodas sighed when Hawk returned, spouting out noise about how the rope found its way to the corner of the wine cellar as he wasted no time wrangling him a Sin of Wrath. Elizabeth winced at how tightly the pig made sure to tie him before tossing him onto the bed with enough force to send her about an inch off the bed.

"Now go to SLEEP, Meliodas! We're leaving early in the morning, and if you're not up and ready—then you're gonna be hog-tied the whole ride!" Hawk then turned to Elizabeth and nodded assertively, "you're safe now, Princess! Sweet dreams!"

The pig turned around and practically pranced out, missing a step when Meliodas cooed out a, "Good night, Hawk!"

Without turning around, Hawk kicked the door closed behind him, yelling again, "Go to sleep Meliodas!"

Elizabeth leaned over and blew out the lantern, blanketing the room in darkness. She arranged the blankets so that the both of them were covered. Once her head was comfortably on her pillow, she turned to the quiet Meliodas. With a soft smile that expressed her gratitude better than her words to the knight next to her, she said, "Thank you so much, Sir Meliodas... I've never had a knight in shining armor before."

This sparked another playful glint in his eyes, "So I'm your first huh?"

"Yes, and since I suppose by now, I am officially a runaway... I would assume that you'll be my last as well."

She could hear what sounded like a cough (it was a stifled snicker) before he said, "Fine by me!"

Crickets chirped outside as the two of them lay there. So many of the reservations she held yesterday had been put to rest. Harlequin's tales of his friends were true, and now she was to travel with them. Who knew what tomorrow might bring in the presence of such company? Despite her excitement of future adventures to come, she easily drifted to sleep that second night. Elizabeth barely heard the Sin say to her in a low, husky voice, "Good night... Elizabeth."

* * *

 **I'm a bad person guys, I told my Luv this chappie would be out yesterday... it's just that... gaaaah it turned out longer than I'd thought, again! I'm sensing a pattern... Could be a silver lining though: perhaps now we'll update our Malbeths on _different_ days now! XD**

 **Lick lick lick!**

 **Telynfair** **: I love new friends! Yay! Perhaps this chapter gives a bit of the feel for the upcoming plot. ^.~ Merry X-mas!  
** **BettyBest2** **: Didja like da fluff? We're gonna be in Camelot soon, may not have time for much after that! o.o;;  
** **rawrtsuna** **: I doubt Meli was expecting Elizabeth to be proficient in any weapons. Just between you and me... I think he** _ **likes**_ **it!  
Lazy dipshit (Tail?):** **Hi! Nice to meet you! Big fan of your reviews! *fans self* My kitties say hi! OH! And if any typos sneak in after my proofreading... it's probably Ban's fault. He keeps getting on the keyboard!  
** **RainStorm2122** **: ANOTHER COMMANDMENT! Woooo! Oh! And Meliodas is definitely going to try always getting the upper hand—he ain't no quitter! XD  
** **fanficlove2014** **: I love you too my Luv. I thought of you during the tickle fight! :p  
silver light of dawn** **: Meliodas... sneaky? Whaaaaat? It says it right there in the story: He's a HERO! XD!  
** **yojimbo89** **: Ban's time to shine is coming. He might start a habit of egging Lizzie on now that he knows she thinks she's tough. Hehehe**

 **Thank you my lovlies!  
Just for you!**

 **MERRY XMAS!**

 **Seriphia aka Lick!**


	6. Where Does the Arrow Fly?

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

Where Does the Arrow Fly?

It wasn't _just_ Elizabeth and Meliodas who slept in, it was:

Meliodas  
Ban  
King  
Diane  
AND  
Elizabeth

The only ones prepared for Mama Pig's unearthing was her sweet baby boy and a Sin of Lust (who never seemed to sleep). When Hawk had discovered that _no one_ cared to wake up at dawn's first rays, he and Mama decided to just do their own thing—and anyone who bumped a head or bruised a bottom should know it was their own fault for drinking too much.

The first thing that Elizabeth noticed was, of course, the entire world moving. She screamed in surprise and quickly ducked like the sky was falling when she heard a large thump on the roof above her. However, this had to be one of the few times in her life where hearing foul language actually brought her comfort; because when the princess heard the muffled voice of Ban start streaming out a long trail of curses... she new what must be going on.

So not only did the demon lying next to her (who had been awake for nearly an hour already, enjoying her uneven breaths, the movement of her lips, and the sweet way one breast leaned against the other from the window his neglect of the four top buttons of his shirt brought...) get to witness her near panic attack, but also got to watch her scurry over to the window and lean forward as she confirmed her suspicion that Mama Pig was on the move. His shirt really did look so much better on her. Really... it should be a crime. Oh how much fun would it be to be locked up for such a crime? 'What you in for?' "Oh, not much! Just looking totally more smokin hot than my knight in his own clothes!' *A/N the writer is RAMBLING... dun mind me! XD*

Yea... what a great way to spend the morning.

Meliodas was forced to come to a most life-altering conclusion:

He was absolutely _fanstastic_ at picking out ladies' underwear.

Elizabeth watched the landscape past by at a much quicker speed than yesterday. It was slower than Mama Pig's final sprint, but quicker than the steady pace she'd taken the day before. Thinking out loud, she said "Woow... at this rate we really will be there before nightfall." After a few more moments, she turned around to see Meliodas watching her. "Oh!" It was so funny to see a princess jump, "I didn't know you were awake!"

A comely smile greeted her, "Good morning Elizabeth!"

"Um... let me help you out of your binds." The girl smiled as she sat on the bed, and started looking for the knot.

Meliodas grinned, "Be gentle!"

^.~

King floated a recently shrunk Diane onto Mama Pig's back and as soon as she touched ground, the Serpent Sin of Envy marched right up to the Boar Hat and swung the door open fiercely. "Alright! Who's big idea was it to leave us behind?!"

A huge puff of purple smoke shot into Gowther's face from behind the counter when Diane's unexpected barging in shook his hand. Such a shame too, he'd prepared himself for a distraction from Ban, Meliodas, Hawk—even Elizabeth, but he had not considered one coming from the giant and her stalker. He sighed heavily and removed his glasses, wiping purple fog from them with a tissue. "I'm quite sure the Captain will be relieved to see you were not left behind, Diane."

"Damnit Gowther! That's not what I asked!" Diane growled.

King trailed after her, "I'm sure they thought we'd be awake Diane! It's nothing I'm sure!"

Hawk covered his eyes with his ears, "I'm sorry Diane, but I did warn everybody that we were setting out early!"

Diane turned to the pig, "So _you're_ why I had to use my shrinking potion a day early? Ugh!"

"It, it'll be alright Diane!" King tried to appease her, "we'll just make sure we find you a bath house that is still open tonight!"

Ban was walking miserably down the stairs in just his red pants, listening to the screeches his comrades used as voices. "What the hell's all the commotion about?" He looked right at Diane and grinned slyly, "Hey Diane, did you loose weight?"

"Oh!" Diane was grinding her teeth at this point, "Shut up Ban! Where's the Captain!?"

Hawk squeaked, "Oh no! _ELIZABETH!"_

 _^.~_

Meliodas chuckled at how meticulously the princess placed her things in the half of the closet he'd just cleared for her. His shirt lay discarded on the floor and he patiently waited for her to finish so he could grab a fresh one.

"You all have been so generous..." Her fingertips trailed down the cloth of one of the outfits King had made for her.

Perhaps Meliodas wasn't too patient, since he decided to walk up behind her, "It's not everyday my little band gets to dote on a princess, and besides..."

Elizabeth turned around right about when he thought she would, and his hands that were lifting up to kindly rub her shoulders, grasped both her breasts instead. He smiled as he squeezed them gently, enjoying the sound of her breath inhaling sharply at his touch, "You're one of us now."

Elizabeth was so surprised to hear him say those words, that she placed her hands over his, inevitably trapping his hands on her. At that moment she noticed that the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins looked much more mature without his over-sized shirt. His face was indeed youthful—but no more than an elf. His chiseled abs and glorious torso gave tell to a great warrior, scars lacing his curves as proof to tales of battles survived. His ageless eyes gazed into hers, impressing the sincerity of his words to her.

With the princess lost under the weight of his words, and Meliodas enjoying her attentions more than he probably ought to, it seemed like the perfect timing for not only Hawk to spoil everything but Diane as well. The pig didn't even bother to observe the scene first, at his eye level, he found Meliodas' knees, and ran at them, vaulting the knight onto his bed. "I dunno what you were doing, but it couldn't have been good!"

"That's IT!" Diane yelled out, throwing her hands in the air. "We are getting a bathroom installed up here and that's final! A princess should not have to change her clothes in a closet just because she's stuck living with a dog!"

The Serpent Sin walked to the closet and looked Elizabeth up and down, "and we're going to find you something more appropriate to sleep in too."

"I, I couldn't possibly impose more, Lady Diane" The elf waved her hands submissively, "Sir Meliodas doesn't mind!"

"Oh he doesn't now... huh?" Diane frowned, both hers and Hawk's disapproving glares landing on the half naked blonde on the bed.

Meliodas smiled at them, sitting on the bed like it was his choice instead of just—where he landed. "Morning you guys! Is breakfast ready?"

^.~

The morning melded itself to midday much too slowly for Ban. He laid on the ground... pig skin... whatever it was with his hands cupped behind his head, watching the fat chunk of pork under him pass by the lazy clouds.

He'd watched a few things that morning while everyone assumed he was taking a cat nap. It really was useful when people thought you suffered from a hangover. You could hear the most interesting things when the people around you thought you were too out of it to care. There was this intriguing hushed argument between Diane and King that he found pretty annoying. He couldn't get used to how quietly Diane could whisper when she was normal size, so he couldn't really make much of it out besides King's stuttering. Why does that guy gotta act so lame around her? Chicks don't dig that. He'd tried to give the guy some pointers before, but high and mighty Fairy King seems to think he's got it all figured out.

Then there was Hawk and Elizabeth chatting. Pretending to be all pleasant even with the Captain following them around like a little puppy dog needing scraps. Just what was it about this little elf chick that had him so pussy whipped? Honesty! He was pretty certain she wasn't putting out—so what the hell had Meliodas acting like he'd only just recently discovered the female sex?

Whatever man... maybe he'd do him a solid someday and talk him up to the princess. If that's what he's into, who was Ban to judge?

Then he heard Gowther formally request to examine the princess' re-curve bow, and listened without snickering (not even once!) as Meliodas gave him the third degree. Gowther wasn't fooling Ban though. Sure he was maybe a _little_ curious about the bow, but what he _really_ wanted was that tiny little touch between fingertips he got from taking it from her. Seriously, if there was ever a total mastermind of the Captain's little group here—it wasn't Meliodas. Gowther had a good way of being behind the scenes on just about everything. And now Ban was pretty damn sure Pinky knew all the princess' dirty little secrets. Okay... this could get good.

Finally finding a cure to the curse of boredom, Ban sat up and looked over where Elizabeth sat all prim and proper next to Hawk, while the pig discussed menu options at Camelot with a very uninterested Meliodas. "Hey Princess," the Fox Sin called out to her. When she looked up at him, she kinda... twitched. That's alright, he just had that kind of effect on ladies. His sly grin grew as he goaded her, "so I still have yet to see you actually _hit_ anything with those little toys of yours. You gonna show us that we can trust you shooting behind our backs or what?"

Plan. Worked. Perfect. Soon enough he had everyone revving up for an archery contest between Pretty Little Princess and Goat Sin. His slick tongue even got King to bet on Elizabeth when he manipulated Gowther into giving the elven bow mad props. Diane dug out some old dishes and started to toss them up high in the air so that they could both shoot them down. They tried making it harder when Meliodas and King also started tossing the things in the air, but both archers remained tied.

That is, until Pretty Little Princess ran out of arrows, therefore missing her shots. Heh heh heh.

Gowther, never able to take pleasure in getting to win something, stated simply, "That is why I have developed ammunition using strictly energy. It is simply more efficient."

Ban was proudly approaching King to collect his winnings when the captain folded his arms and gave him that damn knowing look. To everyone else it was the same fucking smile he always wore... but Ban knew better. No good ever came Ban's way from that look.

"Hey Ban, since the game was your idea, why don't you go and collect all those arrows." Meliodas' eyebrow rose ever so slightly.

"What?" Ban glanced around them, already knowing the stupid arrows must be off the pig and scattered behind them on the trail. "Really?" The Captain was still giving him the same look. " _Fuck!_ " The Sin of Greed stalked off the pig, knowing he wasn't gonna got out of it.

Oh well. At least the Captain had let him have his fun.

The sun was on its sleepy recline towards the horizon when the capitol finally came into view. Elizabeth noticed it from the corner of her eye while she was tying a yellow ribbon on Hawk's ankle. The pig seemed to enjoy her fussing over him, and loved her idea to make him look nice for their arrival. Her multicolored eyes widened at the sight of the capitol and she immediately stood up, paying nothing else any mind. She had never seen any other castle but her father's and from the look of this one, apparently architecture was a very diverse art! Her home in the Woodland country had tall spire towers—and so many that you would have to walk around the perimeter if you actually tried counting them. The castle here was very different, almost crude in design, but the enchanting pearl colored bricks gave it a look of purity. First there were four large towers with flat roofs that soldiers were keeping watch on, on each corner of what looked like a perfect square of wall that housed the city. She could see that the tall castle within its walls had a similar simplistic design, and to her it looked magnificent. The Goddesses themselves could have proudly lived here.

"Elizabeth." Meliodas came up to her side with a rare downward turn to the very corner of his lips. "The king himself is up in that tower," He pointed to a small tower that helped its twin hold the drawbridge. "I think Merlin may have spilled the beans as to our arrival."

"Um, is that a... bad thing?" Elizabeth queried.

He suddenly granted her a half smile, "Not really, unless you were planning on hiding your identity from him."

"Him... who? Arthur, or Merlin?" Why was she getting nervous all of a sudden?

The blonde chuckled and cupped his hands behind his head and looked up at her, "Either really, anyway, I wouldn't bother. I'm sure by now..." He hesitated, a glint of something... odd... passing through his expression. "I'm sure that by now Merlin's told him _allllll_ about you."

"Oh my..."

Their approach was greeted with cheers from the guarding soldiers and as Mama pig walked, a heavily robed figure standing next to a man dressed in a brilliant gold set of armor from head to toe raised their hands into the air, suddenly causing an entire section of the wall vanish. Elizabeth's jaw dropped as the gargantuan pig walked right through the missing wall and started to burrow herself into the ground while the robed wizard summoned the city's wall back to its rightful place.

Elizabeth was stuttering out her surprise over the huge section of the perimeter going missing when Meliodas lifted her up bridal style and squatted down to better ground himself for the shaking onslaught Mama Pig always brought when she went back underground. He thought he'd best hold the princess secure by holding one hand directly on her breast... he wouldn't want her to slip.

Once Mama Pig was comfortable, the two of them could hear Diane complaining about how she never should have been on board for such an earthquake. She should have been walking in her normal size... but _someone_ had left them behind. However, Elizabeth found her complaining odd, since she was simply on Harlequin's pillow with him while he was trying to settle her down. With that pillow floating above the pig, she shouldn't have been tossed around at all. Perhaps it was all the noise that had caused her discomfort?

"Alright Meliodas! You can let go of her now!" Hawk oinked angrily at the man still clutching and groping her.

"Hey Hawk," the Sin Captain murmured, "does Arthur still prefer pork over duck?"

" _Eeeeek! Does he?!"_

Meliodas chuckled as he stood upright and helped Elizabeth find her feet.

From behind them, she heard a strong and joyous voice ring through the air, echoing through his helmet, "Sir Meliodas! You have finally arrived! So wonderful to see you again!"

The shorter blonde turned around, setting his fists on his hips and smiled up at the man in armor the color of gold, "A pleasure to see you too, King Arthur!"

Elizabeth was staring at the figure in armor so intently that she hadn't noticed the wizard that had strolled up next to him until a voice came from beyond the hood's shadow. "Would you listen to that Arthur, the man actually used an honorific when he greeted you!" The head from under the robe shook off the hood, revealing a stunning black haired woman with fine features and eyes filled with something like the understanding of the universe. The woman pointed her smile at the man next to Elizabeth—a smile that looked far too familiar for the elven maiden to feel comfortable about.

Meliodas smiled up at her as well. "I wouldn't get used to it or anything, but I figured I'd try it at least once."

His comment causing the man under the helmet to bark out a laugh, "The effort is appreciated, Sir Meliodas!"

The Sin Captain grinned and placed a hand right on Elizabeth's rear, properly embarrassing her for introductions, "Princess Elizabeth, this is Arthur of Camelot, and Merlin, Boar Sin of Gluttony."

The princess deadpanned at the thought of this mind blowingly gorgeous woman being the same wizard of legends, "M, M, M, Merlin...? You're a woman...! A _young_ woman?" Elizabeth hastily slammed both hands over her mouth at the rude comments she'd just made.

While Merlin raised a slender eyebrow and shaped her pink lips into a smaller smile, the king beside her barked out yet another laugh with his voice echoing from his helmet again, "It's true! The stories usually to omit the part where Merlin is not an elderly man that spent his youth studying magic."

By this time, the other Sins were gathering behind Elizabeth and Meliodas. Hawk also pranced up to the princess' other side. Ban was causing a commotion scaling the wall and sliding down it with both his hands loaded with elven arrows. He walked right up to Elizabeth, placed the arrows on her chest without looking at her while he said, "Yo Merlin! Let's go find a pub! Come on, let's go." He walked off with nothing else said.

Elizabeth quickly caught most of the arrows before they fell, but before she could bend over to collect the ones that fell, Arthur swept them up. "Sir Ban should have been more careful handing you such things." Then he more politely offered her the arrows.

"Oh! Um, no, it's fine. Sir Ban is probably just being impatient." The elf placed the arrows over her shoulder and into her quiver.

"Nonetheless," Arthur used both hands to remove his helmet, revealing an incredibly handsome man. Hair the color of amber and eyes a deep purple, his appearance made her think of a lion. Elizabeth's experience with politicians were indeed limited, but she had noticed that their expressions always seemed to have so much more to hide than what they had to say. There was no such feeling when she looked at this man, this king. His face was an open slate, he had nothing to hide and nothing to fear. Elizabeth was taken aback by the almost boyish happiness he displayed so freely on his face and body language.

He reminded her a bit of Meliodas.

Her mind suddenly brought her to comparing the two when the king formally addressed the princess before him. Arthur bent down on one knee and took her hand with a dashing smile, "Third princess of the Woodland elves, beloved daughter of King Baltra. It is an honor to have you grace our kingdom with your presence." The kiss he placed on the top of her hand felt warm, his lips lingering just long enough for the princess to recall when possible suitors would introduce themselves to her oldest sister—before she relinquished her claim on the throne to Veronica.

Meliodas also noticed how the king allowed his lips to touch her skin for just a moment longer than he should have. Fortunately... the Sin of Envy stepped in before the Captain decided to sever all ties with Camelot. Diane practically glomped Elizabeth's back, looking over her shoulder at the knelt king, "I'm here too your highness! You should greet me like the princess of the Sins!"

Merlin bellowed out a laugh, and Arthur stood, releasing Elizabeth's hand with a fairly confused expression. "Indeed, it is wonderful to see the Lady Diane again." The king granted her with a flourished bow.

While Diane beamed at the king's attention, Elizabeth pulled her hand to her chest, blushing slightly, holding her hand with the other. Meliodas placed a hand on her back, pulling her gaze from the charismatic king, to her knight in shining armor. He was not looking at her though, the knight was watching Arthur, who was now greeting all the Sins in turn—sneaking glances at Elizabeth any chance he could.

Once pleasantries were said and done, King Arthur offered to have them join them for a feast to celebrate their arrival. Diane got excited and took King's hands, jumping in the air, and Merlin winked at Meliodas and said she should go find Ban. But then the Sin Captain edged a new smile onto his face and pointed it right at King Arthur with a (possessive?) hand still on Elizabeth's lower back, "No thanks, Arthur. Tonight's gonna be a good night for business."

Arthur blinked at him, and Elizabeth tried to hide her surprise to better support his decision... but it was hard. A grand banquet in their honor sounded wonderful. She suddenly felt a tad embarrassed when she realized she was hoping a certain knight would escort her...

"But... Sir Meliodas, everything is being prepared." The king tilted his head.

Meliodas just smiled politely, his hand creeping slowly lower on the princess behind him, "Perhaps it will keep until tomorrow, we wouldn't want your citizens to wait another night before they enjoyed some of our wild berry ale." His smile formed into a smirk as he pointed a thumb behind him at people already beginning to mill around the Boar Hat.

" _Awww!_ " Diane pouted, "I wanted to wear one of those pretty dresses..."

Merlin waltzed over and put a hand on her shoulder, "No worries, we'll make sure you're still shrunk for tomorrow."

The Sin of Envy grew a big smile and grasped the mage in a giant-sized hug, "Oh thank you! Thank you Merlin! You've always been so good to me!"

Merlin twitched under her grasp, never one for hugs. "Ehh... you're welcome, Diane."

King Arthur tsked, "Well, I should not be a man to hog the legendary Meliodas and his band to myself." He bowed to all of them and shared a subtle smile with the elven princess that the knight next to her noticed very clearly. Hmm... perhaps King Arthur's castle was due for a little renovation.

The king turned around and waved, "A meeting is at breakfast tomorrow, I do hope you can come. I have a special task just perfect for your particular set of skills."

Meliodas shook his head. Everything was fine. Elizabeth had stayed with them, and they were opening the bar like normal. Why was she watching him walk away like that?

"Captain!" Diane suddenly crowded her way into the blonde's face, "Where's my uniform?! I get to be a waitress too today!"

The Sin of Wrath sighed, calming his nerves, and nodded to Diane. "We could sure use the help! It's looking like it's gonna be a busy night!"

Diane happily pulled Meliodas away and into the Boar Hat, leaving Elizabeth there alone with only Gowther. Elizabeth was deep in thought, wondering how such a man as that would fare as King. He was such a refreshing change from anyone in Council, how is it that he was free to wear his emotions like that? Anyone who acted as he could be easily manipulated—that was why politicians always hid behind a mask of serenity.

Gowther had moved to stand beside her and was watching in the same direction she was. He adjusted his glasses and spoke in his casual monotone, "The king is a very interesting specimen, I am intrigued that you noticed as well."

The princess turned to the Sin in suprise, "W, what? No! That's not what—"

Diane hung her head out of the Boar Hat's door, " _Come on you guys!_ Orders are already piling up!"

"Oh!" Elizabeth smiled brightly, running to the pub, "I'm coming!" She could put other things out of her mind for now. Sir Meliodas said she was one of them, and right now they were open for business! When she walked in she saw Meliodas busy sliding mugs over to locals, but he still paused for a moment to grant her a welcoming smile and a slight nod of his head.

That brief moment meant the world to Elizabeth.

* * *

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS! MWAHAHA! I set the chappie to come out as your happie lil present! See see! If you use your imaginations REEEEALLY well, you'll see the _beautiful_ bow I put on it! **

**BTW, I do not know much about Merlin or Arthur's chars. I will write them as I think they are, and that's about all I can do... o.o;; Please remember, it is reasons like this that I made my story an alternate reality. ^^;; I love the old Camelot tales, and if ya stick with me, we can ride the storm together. LUV YOU!**

 **It is Christmas—my daughters are pulling me away, so no time for the public licks T.T BUT PLEASE KNOW~every single one of your reviews were so, so, so awesome! I read all of them over more than once. Thank you! And I can't wait to give you DOUBLE the lickings next time!**

 **Just for you  
Love like you mean it  
Seri aka Lick**


	7. Qualities of a Princess

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))**

 **Rated M**

 **M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!  
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

Qualities of a Princess

"Psst! Wake up!"

Elizabeth found her shoulder being nudged and her eyelids complained when she opened them. Her vision was foggy at first, but she registered that is was still dark outside. She groaned a little and retreated into herself some, tucking her head under Meliodas' chin.

"Heeeeey! _Wake up Elizabeth!"_ A feminine voice whispered and she felt more nudges. Ugh, she was so tired... the tavern had been so busy last night and her body felt sore all over. Elizabeth straightened out a bit, then blushed when she felt Meliodas' soft breaths right on her cheek.

That helped her wake up.

She turned when the persistent nudging continued and blinked Diane into view.

"Good!" She whispered, "come on! Let's go!"

"Um, go where...?" She didn't want to go anywhere, she wanted to stay here and have another conversation with the man laying next to her. They didn't get a chance to speak much at all since arriving in Camelot and Elizabeth hadn't realized how much she'd missed it.

A smile was bright on Diane's face, "To the castle of course! King Arthur is having that meeting, and as guests of honor, Merlin has seen to it that we have," her voice almost squealed in excitement, "tailor made dresses—just for us!"

Elizabeth sat up, wincing at her aching back. "But, how does she know what size of dress to have made...?" Tailors must have been working for more than just last night to have finished them, and she was never sized for a thing.

Diane winked at her, "Merlin has a way of getting around those kinds of things. Now _come on!"_

"Umm... okay." Elizabeth looked over her shoulder at the sleeping knight with a touch of regret. He'd been so kind, how could she wander off without saying goodbye?

The worry was a tad pointless, because her yelp woke him up when Diane threw her clothes on top of her head. His eyes popped open to the funny sight of Elizabeth pulling a blouse off her head, mussing up her platinum hair with a disheveled expression.

"Oh! Captain!" Diane let a feigned surprise show, "I didn't know you were here."

"Good morning." His eyes started looking around, noting that it was just barely morning.

"Um, Lady Diane? I don't feel right about this..." Elizabeth fiddled with the clothes that had been tossed to her.

"Oh Elizabeth!" Diane gave her a pouty face, "don't make me dress up all alone!"

"She'd do it too," Meliodas smiled chipperly.

The princess turned back to the man all tied up, "Are you sure it's alright...?"

"Of course!" Meliodas chuckled, "Diane will be with you, so it'll be fine. We'll meet up with you at breakfast."

Diane looked at him with disapproval. "You never needed to wear a coat of rope to sleep before. Why can't you just behave yourself Captain?"

The knight just flashed her a fox grin, "Never got to sleep next to a pretty elf before!"

Diane groaned at his ridiculous answer and Elizabeth blushed brightly, "I'll um, change in the bathroom downstairs!" She scooped up her clothes and fled the room.

Alone with the Captain, Diane folded her arms and looked down at him with a frown. "I'm pretty too ya know!"

Meliodas just kept his same grin.

"Ugh! I'm not untying you! Have fun getting loose!"

"Hey Diane." Meliodas grew a smirk, peeking an eye at her, "what's the deal with you and King lately?"

Her eyes widened, and she fidgeted, "I uhh, I gotta go! Wouldn't want to leave Merlin waiting!" The shrunk Sin of Envy walked out with as much dignity as she could muster—plus a petulant flick of her hair.

^.~

Getting prepared here was much like it was in her own kingdom, with one distinct difference. At home, the ladies helping her dress were quiet and helpful, only speaking if she said something first. Here, the women helping her and Diane into their dresses gaggled like a flock of geese. They fussed over so many little things that Elizabeth felt like pulling her hair out—but it was twined up above her head in many tiny braids, similar to the traditional way an elf noble would wear it.

She hated having her hair up like this... always did.

The idea was for females to keep their hair out of their face so that they could be ready for any possible ambush, but Elizabeth had always thought her multicolored eyes were her worst feature, and went against the grain and grew her bangs out to cover her right eye. It spelled something about her linage that most elves would frown on if they saw it. Her deepest secret, and there would never be anything she could ever do to change it.

So with her bangs properly in place, she allowed the geese to play with the rest of her hair without complaint. Diane kept chatting away at how lovely everything was while Elizabeth quietly replied with nods or smiles at the appropriate times, observing some women at her feet doing some last minute hems at the bottom of her dress, fussing about how Merlin had been right about her being short for an elf. No, her ladies from home would have never been so outspoken—in an odd way she found it refreshing... if they could have done it without their hands all over her. She'd been very relieved when the dresses were actually... dresses and not full blown gowns. She couldn't stand those things. How could an archer pull herself up to a decent vantage point if her legs were constantly in a tangled mess of frilly petticoats? No. Her training had prepared her for many things, including assassination attempts and the last thing she wanted was to be more vulnerable than she already was in a place as different as this.

Merlin had a bit of mercy when it came to the shoes as well. She'd slipped them in while Diane was loudly ogling the dresses. The mage had winked at Elizabeth and said men loved these kind of boots. The mercy part was that they were not heels. The ones that fit Elizabeth were laced in the front and had many intricate holes cut out of the leather that showed the pale skin underneath; she'd never seen anything like it.

Once the geese declared them finished, Elizabeth stared at the princess that watched her from the mirror. They had even placed a laurel of flowers on her head to declare her royalty, as was elven custom. Her gown was a deep, vibrant purple bordered with maroon that was enriched with silver etchings. Her thin skirts were four overlapping segments that allowed easy movement, and the bodice was made from a new sort of fabric that had great elasticity that let her twist and turn however she wished, despite its long flowing sleeves and the two pairs of twining ties that went up her back and front. Elizabeth approved. The bodice dipped down to show her cleavage, blessedly not too much—back home their dresses went up to a high collar so she was not used to her skin being exposed. It felt drafty.

As she watched her arm lift the flowing sleeves, Diane raced up to the mirror practically bouncing with joy. Her dress was yellow with orange patterns all over it, tight long sleeves, and a neckline around the same as Elizabeth's. She looked herself over with nothing even close to a critical eye. Then she looked upon the princess beside her and visibly pouted. "Aww! I want flowers in my hair too!"

The geese perked up, rather nervous and started squawking about how Princess Elizabeth needed a crown and Diane groaned, "Oh yeah... she's a princess."

Elizabeth smiled kindly to Diane, and gave the geese multiple heart attacks when she broke off a third of her laurel. "I believe the Lady Diane has earned this over her many years of faithful service to the Seven Deadly Sins." She raised it up and used deft fingers to weave it into Diane's hair so that it favored the right side of her head.

Diane, Literally. Screamed. (only those of them in the room knew it was from joy instead of life threatening peril)

Before her happy scream had ended, King burst into the room with his Chastiefol aimed and ready. "Don't worry Diane! I'm here!" He froze when all he saw was an assortment of surprised women.

The silence went on for a while.

Diane suddenly started bouncing again, "King! King! Lookit me! I really am a princess!" She twirled around, her happiness from Elizabeth's gift catching.

King however, just... hmm... well, King just kind of hung his jaw open and... uh... made an indiscernible... croak?

"Um... Sir King?" Elizabeth was growing concerned for her old friend.

"Oh don't worry about him." Diane took Elizabeth's hand and pulled her past the flabbergasted fairy king, barely giving her a chance to grab her long bow and quiver as Diane tugged her. "He just does that sometimes." She whispered as she pulled Elizabeth closer as they walked, "I think it means I look good!"

"Princess Elizabeth! Princess Elizabeth!" They stopped and turned around as a small girl of perhaps only ten years ran to catch them before they got too far. The small messenger held a pillow with a golden cuff on it. The girl huffed as though she'd been running for a while and breathed out, "Gift... a g, gift from King Arthur t, to P, P, Princess Elizabeth."

" _What?"_ Diane frowned.

The bracelet was lovely, it was nearly thick enough to be a bracer and was decorated with large leaves engraved on it.

The problem was... Elizabeth knew that accepting such a gift would also be an acceptance to an invitation of courtship. Thinking quickly, Elizabeth feigned great surprise, "Oh goodness, Princess Elizabeth! What a wonderful gift!" She took it from the girl's pillow and placed it on Diane's wrist, it truly did look magnificent against her yellow and orange sleeve. "My, it sits on your wrist as though it was made only for you! Oh Princess Elizabeth! You're so lucky!"

This returned Diane's smile. She always wondered what it would be like to be a princess, and now Elizabeth was giving it to her. Diane vowed to herself to always keep her safe, no one with a heart as kind as hers ever deserved pain—and Diane would make sure she remained free of hurt. She stared at how such jewelry rested on her sleeve and beamed.

Elizabeth giggled to herself and turned back to the girl, "Tell your liege that it was just _perfect!"_

The girl smiled brightly and nodded, "I will! Thank you!" She quickly sprinted off, too excited to remember to formally bow when leaving royalty. Elizabeth thought she was adorable.

A roaming servant was more than happy to lead them to Arthur's conference room, where breakfast had been laid out. Diane was chatting about the pressures of royalty melodramatically while Elizabeth giggled at her theatrics.

The timing of their entrance could have used a little tweaking...

Well, Ban had been egging Meliodas on all morning—things that will forever remain between the two of them, and his unwillingness to ever let up ended in a food fight, that escalated into a jumping and dodging exercise, and fully matured into a game of cat and mouse—Deadly Sin style. There was a grinning dragon going after a taunting fox, and Diane's dress got caught in the cross fire. Ban had landed on the corner of the huge rectangular table set in the middle of the room and cunningly jumped out of Meliodas' path as he lunged for him with a mean looking drop kick. However, Ban found his footing at another corner of the table but the size of his feet worked against him when the tip of his boot landed on a platter of deviled eggs. This tipped the plate over and sent many of the delicious snacks on a one way collision course with the lovely fabric covering the Serpent Sin's bosom.

The first thing she did of course, was look down at the creamy yellow stickiness now on her dress with eyes the size of dishes, but her warrior's instinct let her surprise wait until after retaliation and she growled viciously.

" _Damnit Ban!"_

Ban hadn't even noticed that the girls had arrived, so his mocking sneer was still pointed at the captain who hadn't landed more than a few hits—not even enough to make him bleed. Thus, his narrow eyes rounded significantly when his collar was yanked from behind as Diane hoisted him up into the air. She used her impressive strength to slam him belly first back onto the table, sending small chucks of marble everywhere, and kicked him right on his rear—sending him sliding across the table.

Amidst all the raucous, Gowther was sitting at the table eating peacefully. When Ban was sent toward his plate of food, he merely lifted up his plate, waited for the offending fox to slide past before setting his plate back down to take a sip of his tea.

Now at yet another corner of the table, Ban managed to grab hold of the edge to stop his momentum before he crashed into the wall. The Sin of Greed lifted his head to say something, but right as he did, his beloved captain's foot slammed right onto his head, sending it and Ban through the table and into the floor. Meliodas stood next to him and bent over, snatching a plump red apple from Ban's twitching hand. "My apple."

Elizabeth stood at the doorway, completely astonished by the wreckage of what must have been a grand room before. Tapestries hung tattered or barely dangling from the walls, the walls themselves cracked in many places, and the floor looking very unstable as well. She wasn't sure if she wanted to enter! They made these castles sturdy... right?

Debris could be heard tinkling to the ground as Ban's head rose from the ground beside Meliodas' foot. Elizabeth watched curiously as the man's smashed brains began righting itself before her eyes. Ban the Undead indeed! Certainly there was a reason for her to be wary of him, just what exactly could that man possibly be afraid to do if he could heal from virtually anything? Her eyes traveled to the shorter man looking up at the towering Sin, completely unperturbed that his attack would have killed a normal person. Meliodas even smiled at Ban rubbing his head, "Ready for round two?"

"Nah..." Ban looked down at him, "I think I'm done... for now."

"Damn straight you're done!" Diane yelled, "look at what you did to my dress!"

She wasn't done. She started to storm towards him when Merlin appeared out of thin air right in front of her. "Relax Diane." She smirked as a handkerchief manifested in her hand and she wiped down Diane's dress, leaving it completely free of the mess the food had caused. "You think I would have used fabric that stains easily for a Sin's dress? Absolutely not!"

Relief was plainly visible on Diane's face, "Wooow! You really do plan for everything, Merlin!"

Merlin cast a rather pompous smile, "Indeed I do."

Elizabeth turned around to see King Arthur walking toward the room with King floating next to him, hugging his pillow. They were chatting softly but Elizabeth was blocking the way. She nervously stepped into the room and side-stepped so that she was next to the entrance instead of blocking it, clasping her hands together with her arms straight to keep from fidgeting. What would he do, what would he say when he saw his conference room in such complete dilapidation?

Arthur walked in and opened his mouth with a smile, intending to greet everyone and thank them for coming—and perhaps ask how their breakfast was. He stopped at the intake of breath it took to speak though, for he was looking around the room in bewilderment.

Gowther was the only one sitting at the wrecked table, still politely eating the food neatly gathered on his plate. Diane stood with Merlin, the mage standing there with hands on her hips, cracking a smile at Arthur's expression. Ban stood popping his neck next to Meliodas who was taking generous bites from his pilfered apple. None of the Sins looked concerned at all for the utter disarray they'd made of the room.

The princess, who stood quietly somewhat behind Arthur and King, grew more apprehensive as the silence continued.

She couldn't see the king's face slowly start to grow into a huge smile, so she jumped when she first heard him say:

"This... is... _wonderful!_ _Genius_ even!" He turned around and took Elizabeth's hands in his and jumped for joy. "Do you see this?! This is amazing!" Arthur bent over slightly next to Elizabeth and waved his hand in front the scene of the room. "The table! The table is round! It's just perfect!" He released the princess and called out in the hallway, "bring a team of carpenters in here! Let's get this table sanded down into a perfect circle!"

Arthur walked in and moved a fallen chair back on all four legs and beckoned towards the other chairs around the table, "Come, come my friends, please sit with me."

Meliodas was the first to set a chair on its feet and sit, across from the king. The others followed suit, while Elizabeth just stood there beside the doorway, still unsure of the room's stability.

"So lemme get this straight." Ban leaned forward over the table, "we just wrecked this place... and you're happy about it."

Arthur waved the idea away and scoffed, "Merlin put together an excellent construction team and a carpenter's guild—insisting preparations like this was necessary when enlisting the Seven Deadly Sins' help." He looked at the mage favorably as she seated herself beside him and winked, "I am glad for her abilities of foresight."

Merlin smiled smugly, looking to everyone at the table in turn, "There was no premonition here dear Arthur, but the knowledge of my comrades' ability for restraint." She then turned to wink at the princess still standing nervously, "or better yet, the lack there of."

Diane's eyes widened at Merlin's attentions drawing her own to the elf, "Elizabeth! Come and sit with us!" She looked over at Ban taking a bite out of a big slab of ham, "don't worry, the hounds are eating their treats now."

Meliodas was taking a sip of a miraculously upright goblet as he nudged the chair beside him backwards with his foot.

"Oh, um, all, alright..." Elizabeth lifted up her skirts to her knees to step over a various bounty of food splatters and debris as she made her way to the seat that had jumped beside the Sin Captain. She hadn't noticed, daintily trying to avoid tripping or slipping, but Meliodas was certainly giving her an avid look over. His only problem was the length of her dress' skirt. When Elizabeth sat down, she gave Meliodas a grateful smile and scooted her chair up to the table—rather happy that no one was behind her to shove her ribs into the ragged table's edge. She scanned over table's mess for something to eat that wasn't smeared about, a little disheartened that there wasn't much. Meliodas had her covered though, and tossed her a bread roll that she barely caught and slid her a bowl of cheese cut into tiny squares. He was feeling a tad nostalgic he realized, saving her the exact type of food he'd first smelled when they met. She whispered her thank you to him and he simply smiled back at her.

Arthur's gaze had fallen on Diane as he reclined back in his chair, cupping his chin with a thoughtful index finger bent over his lips. The golden bracelet he'd sent the princess as a gift glinted off her wrist as she started grabbing this and that from the table to eat. Princess Elizabeth had not turned the gift away... yet she was not the one to wear it. He found this curious, was she not interested or just being playful? Or was she simply being kind to a friend who probably never received such gifts herself? His observation also noted the incomplete laurel on her head. He concluded that the elf maiden was a very selfless person that did not care much for title or wealth. Merlin had been right when she pointed out that any of the three elf princesses would make fine queens.

Even with the table's corners and edges being roughed up, it was still too big for such a small group to share conversation intimately. While the girls ate, neighbors quietly chatted. Gowther had eaten quite a bit for his small size and once it seemed that everyone was content, Arthur cleared his throat. "I rather like the idea of sitting at a round table."

Merlin chuckled, "You never were one to enjoy sitting at the head of one."

"No, my comrades and allies must know that I come here to conference simply as a man. That we are all here as equals."

"Perhaps we best tell them some of why we are in need of my comrade's assistance, Arthur?"

"Indeed." Arthur stood up and leaned his palms on the table. "As I'm sure you are aware, Sir Kay has made his intentions known that he stands against my kingship of Camelot." He sighed, but continued, "my loving mentor," the king eyed the smirking Merlin, "has made it clear that I must retrieve my sword so that I might peacefully resolve this conflict."

"Seriously?" Ban leaned back with a frown, "I'd rather we just go and kick his ass and be done with it."

Arthur's typical boyish face grew serious, "Spilling the blood of a brother is a sin I will not willingly endure Sir Ban. He holds grudges against me, true, but I will not loose hope that a brother can always remain a brother."

Merlin rolled her eyes, "Tell them how you lost your sword Arthur..."

"I, umm," imagine a king looking embarrassed. "I had hoped that Sir Kay's grudges had faded once I pulled Excalibur from the stone... hmm... however..."

The mage sitting next to him lifted an eyebrow and laced her fingers in her lap. "Go on, good king..."

"Well, he had invited me to go with him for a walk by the lake shortly after the coronation, so I happily obliged. It was just the two of us brothers, and my spirits had been uplifted by how kind he was being."

Elizabeth watched the way the king's expressions changed. At the beginning, he'd simply looked nervous at the way Merlin encouraged him to speak, then as he related his hopes that his brother would act as brothers should... Arthur seemed ecstatic. It did not last long though, and Elizabeth felt her heart break with his as he related the next part of his tale.

"While we were out, my brother asked to take a look at the sword." He paused, regret and pain crossing his features. "Then," he sighed, "he told me words I shall never forget. Sir Kay said that a bastard whelp as I should never wield such a holy blade as this, and cast it into the waters surrounding Avalon.

"It is was not long after that he began an uprising against me. Claiming that without the sword, I held no right to the crown."

By the time he'd finished, Arthur was hanging his head down between his arms. He would never give up hope that Sir Kay would eventually see him as an equal, but he did understand that his trusting nature cost him the very object Merlin had used to dub him worthy of the crown. Meliodas folded his arms, "So you want us to retrieve the sword for you."

"Talk about a needle in a haystack... maaan, this stinks," Ban groaned.

As Diane passed a glare at the Fox Sin, King stood up with wide eyes, "The waters of Avalon!?" He stuttered a little, "he threw your sword there?"

All eyes fell on him and made King extremely uncomfortable. King Arthur tilted his head, "Well... yes."

King shrunk back into his chair, "I, umm... was just checking."

Merlin raised a slender brow at the fairy king with many things processing within her mind. "You know of a way to retrieve the sword...?"

"Well..." King hated it when he was pulled to the center of attention. "I don't think you'll find it simply at the bottom of the lake..."

"Alright." Meliodas stood, tossing the apple core he held over his shoulder. "For the sake of your attempt at peace, we'll go find the sword."

Elizabeth looked up at the man beside her as he said he would find something down below the depths of supposedly haunted waters. She'd heard of Avalon. Its waters were said to take you on a one way trip to the dead holy city. One did not simply dive into such depths.

Elizabeth could not hold it in any longer. She tugged at Meliodas' sleeve pleadingly, "Wait, please wait..." She bit her lower lip when his hazel eyes looked down at her curiously. It was hard for her to look away, but with a hand on his arm... his sturdy, powerful arm, she turned to look to the king with determination. "King Arthur, your brother, Sir Kay, has been speaking with the Council of Drows. If any sort of deal has been made, I can promise you that peace could never be an option. Prince Hendrikson would not allow any dealings with humans unless it were to lead to worthy spoils." Her voice faltered as she ended her statement with: "Please don't endanger my friends' lives so needlessly!"

Meliodas surprised her when his other hand came to rest on the one she had on his arm, "All the more reason to find the sword." The princess looked up at him, finding herself swept away at the carefree smile he was sharing with her. "Don't worry, you'd be surprised how many water spirits may leap at the chance to speak with an honest to goodness princess."

Her eyes rounded, "M, me?"

"Really works that you're already dressed for the part!" He couldn't resist any longer, he took his hand and grasped one of the breasts that had been sitting next to him for far too long. They just looked so cold!

It was totally worth the large platter that Diane threw at his skull, knocking his whole head into her bosom. Ban started cackling and tilting his chair back, while Elizabeth blushed profusely.

"C, c, captain!" King fretted, "is he knocked out?"

"No he's not!" Diane stomped over and pulled the blonde off of Elizabeth by his collar and looked back over at the king, curtsying in a ladylike fashion; a stark contrast to the way she held her captain. "We'll head there right away, your highness."

^.~

And that is how our band of rag tag misfits (with the exception of Gowther and Merlin, who had chosen to stay behind) ended this chapter at the foot of a lake bed. An ominous mist rose from its waters even though it was well past time for the morning's dew to have dried up from the sun's onslaught. Anyone who was not acquainted with the more supernatural powers of this world would have found this place foreboding.

Fortunately, everyone here were indeed familiar with such things.

Meliodas stood next to Elizabeth at the foot of the water, while King and Diane stood a bit farther off, weapons at the ready.

"Um... what exactly should I do...?" Elizabeth asked the knight beside her curiously.

"Just introduce yourself, and we'll see what happens!" Meliodas smiled at her.

She wrung her fingers together, a bit nervous, but the Sin Captain took one of her hands and held it protectively in his own. He shook his head ever so slightly, "you shouldn't seem fearful when calling out to unknown spirits. Don't be scared," Meliodas squeezed her hand gently, "I'm right here."

Elizabeth nodded, her brows lowering with determination. She looked back out to the waters and opened her mouth to call out with a strong voice, but someone else yelled out in the distance before she did.

" _NO WAY!"_

The group looked behind them and watched a completely stupefied Fox Sin holding a bushel of berries up. He looked like he'd just seen a ghost—Elizabeth had never seen anything even close to a weakness from this man before. "These berries! These are _exactly_ the same kind of berries that grew at the fountain of youth! These berries... they, they shriveled up with the rest of the forest when the fountain..." Ban's eyes searched the area frantically, "I've never found anywhere else that these things grow! _How are they here?"_

* * *

 **END SCENE! LUUUUUV YOUUUUUU!**

 **Now for the lickings!**

 **Telynfair : Ban-wagon... XD hehehe! Whaaat!? Gowther is just a lovable little heep of cuddles! I just have no IDEA what you could mean! *grins with a tilted halo*  
Fanfic2014: kehehehe. I just love Ban so much! I hope your Christmas was merry my Luv! Many licks your way! Give lil Erza a squeeze from me! :D  
BettyBest2: We had a little bit of a renovation... but Arthur freakin loved it! You know Meliodas waited til they were at the castle before—playing-with Ban!  
** **RainStorm2122** **: I saw that, love it! READ HER FIC GUYS!  
** **rawrtsuna** **: AWWWWW! I hope I do them justice, but thanks for taking some of the pressure off my back! Whew!  
** **Scarlet Arrows** **: *happy dance* lookit! Lookit what you got me doing!  
** **silver light of dawn** **: Meliodas? Jealous? Say it ain't so! Sure hope Arthur isn't due for any... education!  
** **PaperDaydreams** **: And here Meliodas was all but pouting over how long Elizabeth's dress was. Kehehehe. HI NEW FRIEND! *Waves frantically* I lick you long time!**

 **Have a happie New Year!  
BEWARE OF RESOLUTIONS!  
Take care my lovelies!  
Seriphia aka Lick**

 **PS: I got a follower the other day called evilpinklollipop. Keheheh... Me Lick, you Lolli. We'd make delicious music together! *bats eyelashes*  
**


	8. Shifting of Tides

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

Shifting of Tides

King's eyes widened at Ban's outburst. How could it be? He'd known that the powers that be were not always clear... but could it be possible? How could he not have known? Had he spent more time in his own kingdom, would he have been better informed? His mouth couldn't form words and his jaw was slack and it was only through ears that felt muffled that he heard Diane's attempt to reassure him.

"I'm sure it's just a freak coincidence," she said softly, planting her hands on his shoulders and bending down to talk in his ear from behind. "They might not even be the same berries... his memory might be playing tricks on him."

King just shook his head, unable to wrap his head around the idea. Their captain was the one to walk out to Ban. Elizabeth was motioned to stay put, and King could only assume that Meliodas meant for them to do the same. He watched as his captain approached his comrade and watched them converse. Unable to hear Meliodas' gentle voice over the water's flow, he could only watch his captain coax his friend's desperate eyes into something more familiar to Ban's face. Soon enough, both of them did what King feared, and set their gaze on him. They thought he knew something...! From what he'd let slip out at the castle—of course they thought he knew something. What if they tried setting Gowther on him!? The gulp he swallowed was very audible.

Ban sat down on the grass while Meliodas walked over to him and Diane. His hands resting in his pockets and looked about the area as he walked with an inquisitive smile adding to his features. When he stopped in front of them, he didn't even really look his way; he just kept looking around with that smile as though he were sight seeing.

"Captain...?" Diane asked.

He looked up at her, "What is it, Diane?"

"Uh, that's what I was wondering..."

Meliodas shook his head, "I just thought I'd come and see if you two had something to say about the berries Ban found." He pulled a berry from his pocket and underhandedly tossed it to King, who staggered to catch it. Upon inspection, he couldn't believe his eyes... it truly was the very same wild berries from where he and his sister had been originally stationed.

"I-I-I don't u-understand...! This can't be possible!"

Meliodas tilted his head, "Why is that, King?"

"Uh..." The fairy visibly shrunk back, "because..."

"Because?" Diane folded her arms and raised a brow. She looked so beautiful dressed like a princess...

Shaking his head, King pulled himself out of the daydream Diane's gaze began to grant him, "B-b-because... those berries only grow where the royal family resides. But... I'm the soul survivor!" His brows lowered as he imagined that this could all be some sick joke a water sprite might be playing, "and I've only just arrived..."

Meliodas frowned, and looked out to the water. "Then maybe we can get our answers from someone that's been here for a while."

With that said from a positive outlook, the Sin of Wrath returned to Elizabeth. She'd been concerned about whatever internal drama was unfolding before her eyes, and found herself regretting that she was an outsider. She couldn't fathom why a simple breed of berries would upset the man so much, the one man among the entire group that she couldn't quite manage to feel even slightly comfortable around. Seeing him so upset like this made him feel much more human to her than anything else he had done—somehow or another, even an immortal had his weaknesses. It would be rude to pry... but not knowing made her feel as though somehow she was unwelcome. Perhaps unwelcome was not the correct way to describe it, but she had no better adjective despite her extensive vocabulary in several languages. Meliodas' smile helped put some of her apprehensions at ease, but not quite all of them.

"We've got two reasons to speak with whatever beings live in these waters now, Elizabeth," he offered her his hand, "whenever you're ready."

Her heart fluttered at the sight of his carefree, boyish face offering her his hand. Elizabeth took it readily, not desiring to delve into the why she wanted exactly what he'd offered. For now, it was her turn to do something for them. If Meliodas thought that whatever was out there might come to a princess' call—then she would call. They needed King Arthur's sword, and now Meliodas' dear friend needed answers.

"I am Elizabeth Liones, third princess of the woodland elves' country of Liones. I ask you, reveal yourself to us so that we might speak."

Her voice was met with only the constant sound of water sloshing against the shore.

 _Don't sound nervous... don't let doubt enter your voice..._

"I am Princess Elizabeth Liones, my comrades and I seek to return the king's sword to him."

… ….

"Well, it was worth a try." Meliodas smiled up at her. He released her hand and began to walk back the way they came.

"But, Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth lifted her skirts to quickly catch up to him, "the day is still new! Isn't there anything else we can do?"

"Absolutely." Meliodas smiled up at her, "we can get Ban drunk."

Diane and King were not far behind, and Diane frowned, " _That's_ your plan?"

"Yup. He's not going to be much help the way he is right now."

King sighed, "I'll go get him..."

^.~

Meliodas would not let Ban cook that evening for the Boar Hat, not that Ban complained. He was out around the back, plucking the stems out of the many, many berries he'd picked. Elizabeth had thought it was a good opportunity to spend some time with him, and perhaps get a better understanding of why he'd been so upset.

Yet he just seemed like normal, cracking jokes about things that weren't funny and throwing stems at Gowther whenever he came out to take out the trash. Still, there was something serene about doing something as mundane as this and she began to think that Ban appreciated the company. When all the berries were ready for the squishing, Ban tucked them away in a cold part of the storage cellar—saying he'd find a tub to squish them in later.

When the two of them emerged from the cellar, Meliodas came to speak with them, casually lifting up Elizabeth's skirts with a look of consternation. "Ya know, you could always just send those berries downtown, there's a place here that will flatten the berries for you."

"Naah." Ban cupped his hands behind his head, "stompin on berries is part of the journey. Make'sum taste better if you do it yourself."

Elizabeth was blushing now that Meliodas had discovered a way under her skirts and was actually squatting underneath them. ...Was she the only one noticing this? "Um... is that true, Sir Meliodas?"

From underneath her fabric, she heard his voice say, "Yea, having a wine stomping party is great!"

"Captain!" Diane called out, "where are you? We need more food! Orders are up!"

"I'm about ready to close up, how about you, Ban?" Meliodas said, completely safe from prying eyes fully under a blushing princess' dress.

"You gonna camp out under your little tent huh?" Ban grinned.

"Sounds great!" he chuckled, Elizabeth nibbled her lip when she felt his hot breath on her inner thigh. Her eyes widened and her heart fluttered, oh where was Hawk!

"Sorry, Capt, but Elizabeth promised me she'd share a couple drinks with me if I told her about Elaine... so she's not gonna be able to stay there." Ban smirked at ruining his captain's fun.

"I did?" Elizabeth stuttered.

"She did?" Meliodas lifted up her skirts to look up at Ban.

Imagine that. Ban was her rescuer. Huh. Price being the loss of sobriety if she wasn't careful... but she simply did not know how to respond to Meliodas' explorations. It was embarrassing, yet it almost felt like a compliment—it's not like she ever saw him doing it to any other woman. Giving Arthur's gift to Diane had been far more simple...

Elizabeth stepped back when Meliodas created an exit and he stood up and half smiled at her, "Nice boots, by the way. Merlin's design I'll bet."

Her breath caught, "You mean, she actually designed our shoes?"

"The dresses too I'm sure. She's pretty girlie for a legendary mage don'tcha think?"

Elizabeth giggled, causing a stunning smile to spawn on Meliodas' face as she said, "I think it's wonderful!"

"Yea, yea," Ban groaned, walking away. "It's great to have hobbies. Come on so I can get started on mine."

The princess blinked at the Sin of Greed leaving without her, then glanced back at Meliodas. "S, sorry!" She bowed politely, collected her skirts and sprinted after Ban.

 _Oh sweet Goddesses... why oh why did I bow to him like that?! I haven't bowed to anyone but Father since I came of age over 350 years ago!_

Ban was leaning against Merlin's magical disappearing wall when she caught up to him. He smiled and waggled a glass toward her, "Tell ya what, I'll tell ya a little bit about me eeeeeverytime you take a drink."

 _Oh dear..._

Elizabeth bit her lip, knowing her curiosity was bound to get her in trouble again...

^.~

" _W, w, w, whaaat?"_ King grasped his head, "that bracelet was from... Arthur?!"

Diane smiled smugly, planning on eliciting a fit of jealously she was sure it would bring. How much fun would it be to see the Sin of Sloth take a page from her book? The miniature giant watched the bracelet glitter in the lamplight with the best dreamy eyes she could muster up.

"I, uh... gotta go!" King surprised her as he quickly floated from the bar.

Diane watched him go with a pout, "Awww!" She buried her head on the bar, that hadn't gone as planned at all!

"A gift from the king huh?" The familiar voice came from right above her and she lifted her head to see her captain curiously looking at her jewelry.

She sighed and leaned her head on her hand so she could better stare at her wrist. "Yea..." she muttered with an uncaring attitude, "but it wasn't meant for me." Letting out a breath, she sighed again, "I just have friends in high places."

"Well of course you do." Meliodas smiled, ignoring the mug he was wiping down, "we're here from personal invitation from the king after all, but that's not what you mean is it?"

Diane eyed Meliodas suspiciously, "Don't go all bartender on me, Captain. It you want information, just spit it out."

Meliodas grinned a chuckle through his teeth, "I was just wondering who the bracelet was meant for is all Diane."

The Serpent Sin raised an eyebrow at him as her lips turned to a thin line as she wondered why the hell he should care. He did bring an unwed princess to a bachelor king, what did he expect? The way Merlin had primped them up just to go to a (ruined) breakfast had been self explanatory. "The girl who'd brought it had told us it was a gift for Elizabeth from the king, but Elizabeth suddenly pretended that she was _my_ lady and put it on my wrist. She's a pretty good little actress! When she—"

Diane continued on with a pretty extensive story, but Meliodas had begun to only half listen—becoming consumed in his own thoughts as he kept wiping the mug he held into oblivion. Without even realizing he'd interrupted her, he called out, "Closing time! Gowther? I'm stepping out."

Gowther rose from the table he sat at silently, "Very well Captain, we shall see that things are taken care of here." His glasses glinted from candlelight as he looked to the patrons still enjoying their drinks.

^.~

Ban grinned at the rosy tint he'd caused their sweet little princess' cheeks to become from her efforts to fish out his story about his trip to the Fountain of Youth. He had to give elves credit—their constitution for liquor was pretty impressive. Either that or this innocent little princess wasn't so innocent, and he seriously doubted that. The chick could still stand! The alcohol had actually made her more energetic, and halfway through his story she'd begun balancing on this or that like she was a damn trapeze artist! It'd be pretty great if she fell, so he'd tried to stretch his story out longer; alas, it would seem that elves were part cat, much to his disappointment, the only time her feet met the ground was the occasional time she'd jump down from a rail to trade for the top of a bench to balance on. He lifted an intrigued brow with the next thing she blurted out.

"I want to go back to the lake," Elizabeth said with determination edging her voice. "Right now, while the night is still young."

A wiser man may have told her such an idea was daft, but Ban wanted to see where going down this rabbit hole led. He smirked at the tipsy princess and replied, "You think you can make it all the way there?"

She looked at him with a smug smile he thought she might have stolen from the captain and leapt off the fountain ledge she'd currently been occupying with a flip and landed on her feet right in front of him, snatching her bow and quiver that were leaning against the picnic table he leaned on. He chose to ignore her dizzy eyes from her showboating as she swung both tools onto her back over the dress she wore. She looked pretty hot in that get-up when she wore her choice of weapons... maybe he should fit a few good words in about Meliodas—maybe the guy wouldn't slam his face into a marble floor quite so hard next time they sparred if the dude actually got laid...

"Point taken," Ban gave her a predatory grin, "we're nearly outta booze anyway."

As they crossed through the open gates of Camelot, the Fox Sin noticed that his captain was leaning against the wall, outside the city. "Aww, damnit Capt! What, you're here to spoil all my fun huh?"

Meliodas looked up at him with that typical all-knowing but-I'm gonna-pretend-that-I-don't-anyway smile. Damn but he hated that smile, "I was just getting some fresh air, what are you two up to?"

The way Elizabeth stared at the captain brought mischief to Ban's thoughts, "Oh... you know. Moonlit stroll through the country side. Sound's pretty nice huh?"

Ban did everything he could to keep from laughing at the darker shade of green his captain's eyes took, "She's drunk... and you're taking her out... walking?"

These two are so damn entertaining, maybe going out to the Avalon Lake wasn't necessary for a good time. The way Elizabeth's eyes widened was just priceless, but not only was she energetic when she drinks, seems like she's stubborn too. Pretty great combination if anyone asked him.

"We are going back to the lake, Sir Meliodas. I want to know why a memory as precious as those berries are to Sir Ban are out there! He has a right to those answers, and I will help him find them!"

Ban grinned all his canines and pointed over his shoulder at her, "Pretty stand up babe, that one."

Finally, the girl let out a hiccup. It was adorable how quickly she covered her mouth and apologized.

Meliodas watched the color on her cheeks for a moment, crushing like crazy, Ban was sure, before he agreed. "Alright. If it's something you think you need to do, then let's go."

Holy hell, the princess' cheeks got redder—how is that possible? "Y, you're coming with us, Sir Meliodas...?"

Meliodas put his fists on his hips and put that stupid smile on again, "Your knight couldn't very well let you go off alone with this greedy bastard, now could he?"

Ban barked a laugh and started trekking out as he heard Elizabeth reply, "Of course not, thank you, Sir Meliodas." He could just feel the love. ...Bunch of idiots.

With the captain babysitting the elf's steps, the walk was painfully uneventful. Ban was bound to be forced into his own thoughts or admire the scenery. The grass looked pretty green under the moonlight... all those crickets chirping was getting pretty annoying though. Once they reached the lake that was big enough to consume the horizon, he even took the time to appreciate the way the moon glittered off of Avalon's waters. No one could dare say Ban the Undead would not smile at the beauty of the world.

The princess tried holding in another hiccup by keeping her mouth closed, but all it did was make an endearing muffled squeak. Ban could understand a little of why his captain seemed so engrossed in her. Damn those pointy ears would get in the way though. He'd had his eyes poked—many times... in several different ways. It fucking hurt! He tried to keep anything pointy as far away from his vision as much as he could. If the captain wasn't turned off by those fleshy blades of doom the chick had for ears... well, more power to him.

Elizabeth gathered up her skirts again (like they weren't already dirty from walking here, twice) and marched up to the water until her boots were heel deep in it. Gutsy. Ban had heard tales of how those waters starve for life and may just try to suck yours out. He didn't believe it of course, but that didn't mean he wanted to dive in for a swim either.

Her voice was surprisingly powerful for such a tiny thing. "I am Princess Elizabeth, and I ask to speak with the guardian of this lake!"

Up on drier land, Ban noticed that Meliodas folded his arms at the same time he was about to—so he set his on his hips instead. The fog rolled off the lake heavier than it had this morning, and it appeared to be getting thicker but the calm waters remained silent and ignored the princess' call.

The liquor seemed to fuel her courage, or her stupidity, and once again Elizabeth surprised him. She waded that pretty dress of hers into the water until the water reached her hips. Ban stifled a chuckle when he saw Meliodas tapping nervously, heh, old Capt was sure to let him have it for giving her _this_ much liquid courage! He was coming up with a plethora of ways to talk his captain's wrath down when her voice tolled out, slicing through the silence.

"We come desperately seeking answers, I am of the woodland elves... and I can feel you. I... I humbly ask that you help us in our endeavors, for I truly feel that they are just." Both Meliodas and Ban jumped when their ward bowed into the water, completely immersing herself. However before either one of them reached the shore, a golden light shone through its depths right where Elizabeth had submerged. This light tethered both Meliodas and Ban to the ground, not by force, but by a lightening of heart. Much like how a siren would pull sailors to her call, this feeling calmed them from believing their princess was in any danger.

From the glowing light more entrancing than the rising sun, emerged two maidens. One lovely enough to be the moon goddess herself, silver hair glittering from the magical waters; the other... appearing completely dry and holding the princess' hands, smiling kindly to the princess possessing enough humility to dip herself in her waters. This woman, with pale perfection robed in white and hair spun from the sun itself, brought Ban to his knees. He felt as though his eyes had been shut for an eternity and only just now been reopened to gaze upon someone he'd thought forever lost.

"Who-who are you?" Elizabeth asked to the being helping her stand.

Her voice seemed to echo throughout the listeners' minds, as if her sound could only exist within the lifewater that sustained their bodies. "I am the Lady of the Lake, and I am very glad to meet you."

Ban felt his captain's eyes fall on him, but he did not care. Nothing else mattered. She was no Lady of the Lake... this woman was Elaine! The only woman he could ever love, the only woman he'd ever tried to give _his_ immortality to so that she may live instead of him. The memory of her pressing the Fountain's contents into his mouth was weighing on his lips. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move. He couldn't dare to believe his eyes were not dreaming.

"My Lady." Elizabeth stared into her eyes, eyes swimming with the deepest depths of the unknown, "please, my comrade suffers! He must know why such berries grow here. He has kept a weary eye for them, but here and here alone they now grow. Please, please tell us why so that he can be at peace."

The heavenly visage that held Ban captive turned her gaze to him, and smiled warmly, "I think he knows... now that he has seen me."

Meliodas' eyebrows lifted, "...Elaine?"

The voice of his captain brought Ban back. He rose on shaky legs and began to stumble towards his love. Not taking the risk to glance away, unwilling to sense anything else around him but her, his advance was clumsy. The Lady of the Lake held pleading hands to stop him, "No Ban! You mustn't! These waters will not favor you!"

"Like I care!" Ban cried out, reaching the water's edge and carelessly going in further so that he may reach her. "You're here—right in front of me—and I'm going to hold you!"

Elaine covered her mouth worriedly as he continued towards her. Elizabeth watched him as well, utterly taken aback by his feral need to get to where they were. Though as Ban approached, Elizabeth was snatched away before she knew she was gone. She found herself out of the water, off the ground and in Meliodas' arms, back further from shore. "Sir... Sir Meliodas? What is happening?"

Meliodas' grasp on her tightened, pressing her to his chest snugly. She hadn't realized how cold she'd been until greeted with his warmth. He spoke while watching Ban's form eat into Elaine's golden light, "I suppose he left out the fact that he's in love with her."

Elizabeth gasped, from everything Ban had said, he'd never told her that they were more than simply dear friends. In her intoxicated state, it was a very complicated thing to process. The concept of the Fox Sin being so desperately in love was a thing hard to wrap her mind around.

As Ban trudged, he didn't notice the glowing water around him begin to boil, nor was he about to look behind him to see that what was once her golden glow was darkening into a sickly green. "No Ban! You must turn back!"

She was beginning to cry when Ban screamed, "No! Don't you start crying! _No!"_

"But, but Ban! You can't!"

" _I can, and I will!_ What the hell good is the gift you gave me if I can't even reach you when you're right in front of me," his voice choked out. The waters of Avalon recognized the creature within as impure, and forced him to slog on as if the lake were filled with sludge. His eyes were turning desperate, not because of the water's newfound density, but because of his affection's tears. She should be as happy as he! He'll see that she is as happy as him even if it takes the rest of his eternal life.

"I am the Lady of the Lake now... I cannot be who you wish."

"Like hell!" His eyes widened, she was just out of his reach, but the water felt as if it were becoming cement. Nothing would keep him from her, "I'll drown! I'll drown every moment I'm with you if that's what it takes!" When he finally reached her hand, he pulled her to him and the water transformed back into its pure, glowing gold. With her in his arms, he finally allowed a smile, looking down at her with more favor than a fox discovering he had the bushier tail. "Drowning's not so bad." He caressed her cheek so lovingly he felt Elaine melt in his arms. Leaning in to kiss her was all that he'd wished he could do for decades, having no time but the present, he brought his lips to hers as her eyes fluttered closed. Both their forms glittered gold as the waters swirled around them. Against her better judgment, Elaine opened her lips to him, as eager for him as he was for her.

If Heaven had a taste, it would taste as sweet as she. He had always thought this taste was that of the sacred water she'd flooded into his mouth but he had been wrong. All this time, it was her—his sweet Elaine. He longed to devour her, to sate his own lust... but hers was far more important. He held great restraint by holding her gently, by matching her tender kiss with one of his own. His tongue caressed Elaine's with a masterful compilation of compassion, desire, and love. She was alive! She was here in his arms, and inviting his kiss. The warmth in his body exploding from his heart only increased when Elaine wrapped her arms around his neck. If this was a dream then he would see to it that he would never wake up.

Too soon, Elaine pulled away from his eager lips and when he tried to capture them again he was met with her fingertips. Her eyes were filled with water, all but pouring from her as she repeated, "I cannot be what you wish."

"On the contrary," the Fox Sin smirked and licked her finger with a curling tongue, "you already are."

Her eyes widened and her waters darkened as his actions led to less pure forms of love, and she shook her head, "Ban, it is not safe for you here!"

"And I said, drowning's not so bad."

Elaine's tears started to come, "I cannot keep the waters back much longer, Ban!"

It was true, her glow was becoming smaller, barely keeping the boiling darkness at bay. Avalon would never let such a man as this stay in its waters for long without pulling him under.

"I'm not leaving! No way, not without you." Ban wrapped his arms around her and forced her eyes to look at him, "never again. I _never_ stopped grieving for you."

The fairy shushed him by placing a delicate finger on his lips, then used both her hands to pull him to her and gave him a lingering, chaste kiss as her hands emitted a blue glow that began to encompass his head. Ban's eyes started to drift closed, a gentle smile giving a hint to the wonderful dream she granted him. "I will always be here, Ban. It is time to stop grieving."

"Sleeping spell..." Meliodas said softly and he slowly set Elizabeth down on her feet.

Elaine stared into her love's closed eyes for a moment, then stifled a sob and looked over to Elizabeth and Meliodas. "Please..." She drifted to the water's edge and met Meliodas, Elizabeth trailing behind. "Please take him, make sure he gets some rest. I cannot let him stay... I cannot watch him suffer, trapped in these waters forever. Avalon excepts nothing but the pure of heart." Meliodas nodded and took Ban from her as she continued, watching the spiky haired miscreant fondly, "and Ban would not be the man I know him to be if he were pure."

Elizabeth's ears wilted, "Is there no way...?"

Elaine looked to the princess sadly, then tried to put on a brave smile, "Thank you for bringing Ban... I have wished to know how he has been for so long."

Meliodas carried his friend over his shoulder and looked up at the girl Ban had told him so much about. "You know he won't stay away."

A smile fell on the girl's lips, "I think he might surprise you. He knows I would not want to watch him suffer."

Meliodas raised a brow at that, but spoke no more of it. "We came here for a purpose. Hmm... you wouldn't know about any mythical swords dumped around here lately wouldja?"

Elaine suddenly appeared embarrassed for some reason, "Oh! Uh... yeees... actually."

Elizabeth suddenly perked up, "Oh! Could we have it back! Please...!"

The fairy's eyes narrowed, "It is not yours..."

"Right." Meliodas smiled, "think on it for a bit, after all, getting Excalibur back to Arthur was Ban's quest so... it's not all that important right now." He grinned to himself and turned, walking off.

Elizabeth looked between the two as Elaine bit her lip, "Ban's quest...?"

"Ah ha ha..." Elizabeth giggled, wondering why in the world Sir Meliodas would leave it at just that, "it's all of ours actually!"

The Lady of the Lake nodded slowly, thinking many things through, "I'll see what I can do... Thank you, Princess Elizabeth. Please, take care of him, he never much cared about, um, health."

The elf took Elaine's hands and nodded sincerely, "I will, thank you for everything, my Lady."

A sadness claimed Elizabeth during the solemn walk back home. So many things made more sense in Ban's story, she couldn't believe she hadn't realized it was a tale about lost love. Love. Ban loved her! The Lady of the Lake. How could they be together...? It was so unfair. Sure, the drab saying: life isn't fair but—isn't life what you make of it?

The tavern was already tucked away for the night, Gowther was the only one to greet them, fiddling with various objects at his table. He lifted an inquisitive brow at the unconscious Fox Sin, but said nothing of it. Meliodas laid Ban down in the third story bedroom and Elizabeth pulled a rather smelly blanket over him. She watched him sleep for a moment, then her lip started to wobble. "It's just not right. To live through her entire life guarding the Fountain, then meeting Ban—only to be taken to task as the Lady of the Lake once presumed dead!" She hadn't realized her voice was edging from whisper to yell, until that yell turned into a yelp from the Sin Captain grabbing her and hauling her over his shoulder, just as he had held Ban.

Such sudden manhandling caused Elizabeth's world to spin, and by the time she found her bearing, Meliodas had already taken them down to their room, deftly stepping over the large pig that snored in front of the closed door. He walked across the room and gently sat her on the bed and knelt at her feet, lifting her skirts and began to unlace her boots.

"Sir Meliodas?"

"Hmm?"

"I... I don't feel very well. I can't... I just can't bear the thought of that lovely girl so sad..."

Jade eyes looked up at her through blonde bangs, "That's because you're so kind. It's hard to accept the cruelties of life sometimes."

A feeling from deep within told her she should think more logically—speak more intelligently—but that tiny little voice was far too easy to ignore. "It's just... It's horrible! She should be free to travel with Ban just as I am free to travel with you! I don't know what I would do... if I could no longer be near you."

A smile breached past his lips as he pulled her boot away and slowly trailed his fingers down her leg, appreciating her skin before he began on her other boot. "These are really great shoes, a little complicated to take off though."

Elizabeth chuckled, not realizing exactly how warm his fingers had made her feel, "You should try the dress, it's far more difficult!"

"...I think I could manage." He spoke softly, slowly pulling her second boot off, and dragging his hands down that leg as well.

Elizabeth hummed at his touch, thinking how wonderful it was to finally be home.

 _Hmm... when did I begin to think of this place as home...?_

The Sin Captain's hands were starting to trail back up the leg it had just trailed down, ceasing slightly above her knee.

Why did he stop...? Wait, why would she ever want him to continue? Why did he have to be so warm... "Sir... Sir Meliodas?"

She could feel his breath against the inner part of her knee, "Yes?"

"Umm," her eyes widened at the new sensations that stirred within her from his simple response, "thank you," Elizabeth's hand had a mind of its own, and dug into his hair. She smiled when he leaned into it. "Thank you for taking such good care of me."

Her knight lifted up and leaned over her, coaxing her to fall back on her elbows as he stood between her legs and rested his palms on the bed. His eyes looked deeply into hers as he contemplated his response, "Who else would I care for?"

Elizabeth didn't have a response for that. Her mind went blank and the only thing she was able to do other than stare into his eyes, was slowly shake her head. Meliodas smiled and lowered his lips right next to her ear and whispered sensually, "You should rest, Elizabeth."

In her current state, she was unable to deny how attracted she was to this Sin of Wrath and moaned deeply when she heard him speak her name in such a voice—and so close to her! A voice like that was sinful in and of itself! She captured his face in her hands and brought it back to her, misjudging her depth perception and held him so close that their noses brushed. She didn't care, what she wanted to say was more important at the moment, "You won't leave will you? You'll stay?"

Meliodas chuckled lightly, "Well I'm not going anywhere, if that's what you mean."

The relief on Elizabeth's features warmed his heart. People are more honest after a few drinks, and knowing Ban—she's had far more than that. He couldn't even bring himself to handle those titillating breasts that were bubbling over her neckline, damn but he wanted to. He grunted when the elf princess suddenly pulled him down on top of her in a giddy hug, "Oh Sir Meliodas! I'm so glad!"

There was only so much a guy could take! With her chest pressed against his like this... there was a tickling reaching every single part of his body.

 _She's not sober..._

With great suffering, Meliodas wrangled himself enough room to rotate behind her where he was more than happy to hold her close. Burying his head into her hair, he recalled how her beauty left him breathless when she emerged from the enchanted lake's surface. Somehow, he managed a sigh instead of a growl. "I'm not going anywhere... Elizabeth. Now get some rest."

Elizabeth snuggled her back into his chest and sighed contentedly, "Sir Meliodas?"

"..." …. "...Yes?"

"I'm not sleepy."

This brought Meliodas to let out that growl, "Yes you are."

* * *

 **o.o;; Wooooooooooooo... I love you. This took forever to write, _just push the bloody submit button Lick!_**

 _ **Just for you  
my Lovelies  
Seriphia**_

 **FUN FACT!**

 **As I was doing research on the Lady of the Lake, I learned of a singer that calls herself The Lady of the Lake~~~~~~~and guess what! _Her name is Elaine!_ o.o! **

**Thank you for your reviews, they really do mean the world to me! After a hasty proofread, I am dying to get better acquainted with my pillow. Good night, good night, I pray that you have sweetest of dreams.**


	9. Holiday at the Castle

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

Holiday at the Castle

Meliodas woke extremely comfortable. His hand was wrapped around a softly snoring elf princess, and at some point during the night, one of his hands had snaked up to grab a handful of _voluptuous_ breast, while the other rested on her upper thigh with her skirts pulled completely up.

Hmm. He couldn't be held responsible for what he did while sleeping... so he sighed contentedly, rubbed her breast affectionately and stroked her leg, nuzzling into her hair more. Now this was the life! He had planned on going back to sleep, but his rubbing was bringing out some delicious moans from the sleeping woman laying with him. Meliodas idly wondered what she was dreaming of as his hand started creeping down to her inner thigh.

His demon senses were tingling—and that is what led him to realize what he was doing. This was not who he wanted to be, well, it was but it wasn't. It took effort to remove his hands, especially when he heard a whimper come from his bed mate, but he managed to bring his hands back to wrap around her waist with a heavy sigh. There would be no more sleeping for him this morning, but he would keep his promise and stay with her.

It only took around twenty more minutes for the lump of pork outside his door to rouse. Meliodas heard him sniffling about before gasping and swinging the door open. The squeal Hawk let out when he saw Meliodas and Elizabeth spooning was more than enough to wake the princess. "That's it Meliodas!" Hawk grunted, "Elizabeth should stay at the castle!"

Elizabeth groaned and rubbed her eyes as Meliodas sat up with a smile pointed at Hawk, "That should be up to Elizabeth, don't you think?" He then passed Hawk a sly look, "and it's not very nice to come into a room screaming when certain people might have a hangover."

Hawk's ears perked up, "Hangover...? Wait," he stomped his hoof, _"what did you do?!"_

Meliodas smiled brighter and pointed at the ceiling, "Ban got her drunk last night."

" _Oh he did, did he?_ " The piggy rushed up the stairs leaving a Hawk shaped puff of smoke in his wake.

Meliodas chuckled, _well that was easy!_

The princess sighed and rolled onto her back and blinked the knight sitting next to her into view, "Sir Meliodas... was that Sir Hawk?"

He tilted his head down at her and nodded with a soft smile, "Yup."

"Ugh..." she brought a hand up to rub her forehead, "he's so loud..."

As if on cue, they could both hear Hawk yelling an earful at what had probably been a sleeping soundly Ban and Elizabeth groaned. "Must he be so loud!"

Meliodas chuckled at her, "Well someone seems grumpy this morning!"

Elizabeth raised her arms and arched her back, letting out a pleasured moan from a very satisfying stretch—one of which pleased her knight greatly. Then she looked back up at Meliodas, blinking curiously, "Gra, grumpy? Oh! Umm," she nibbled her bottom lip, "sorry..."

The Sin Captain smiled and shook his head, "Don't be." He looked down at her ruffled skirts and started fiddling with them, "I think grumpy Elizabeth is cute."

"Why am I still in this dress...?" She said, too groggy to catch his tease.

Meliodas had a good portion of her skirt lifted up to her waist now, admiring the pink panties that complimented her perfectly pale legs beautifully. "We didn't get a chance to get you changed. Did you sleep well?"

His eyebrow rose at how her legs suddenly pressed together and looked up at her face. She was blushing and looking off in the distance as if remembering something. He smiled heatedly and slowly scooped a hand below her to take a generous grip of her bottom as he lowered himself to lean his chin right where her belly button was through her dress. "Ohhh, did someone have a pleasant dream...?"

The front and back contact below her hips made Elizabeth gasp, "I... I, I, I... I,"

Suddenly, Meliodas rose off of her and off the bed entirely, still smiling at her laying on his bed. "I'm going to take that as a yes." Hoping Elizabeth's eyes would stay on him, he nonchalantly turned around, pulled off his shirt and started searching through his closet for a fresh one.

After a moment... or five, Elizabeth realized she was becoming mesmerized with the way the muscles on his back moved along with his arms and sat up. When her eyes saw how far her dress was pushed up, she squeaked involuntarily and sorted it correctly. At the sound of what was now a familiar chuckle, she looked back over towards the closet where Meliodas was watching her. "Don't laugh at me Sir Meliodas!" She found herself pouting, "my head is torturing me enough already!"

"Is it?" Meliodas was wearing his shirt unbuttoned and leaning against the closet's entrance. "I can think of a few other forms of torture that will make you forget all about your headache."

Elizabeth's virgin ears twitched as she watched the mischievous demon lord's eyes dance about her. How in the world was she supposed to respond to that? She felt her heart flutter and swoon at the same time her brain tried to pound some sense into the thing. Her heart began to overpower her mind as he started to step toward her, but her brain needn't have worried, for there was a resonating pounding on their door just when he was within reach of her. Meliodas pouted when Elizabeth broke their eye lock to favor the door.

"Um... come in?" The princess cooed shyly.

The door swung open quickly and Gowther stared at the two of them for a moment before adjusting his glasses and speaking. "Lady Diane's construction team is here. We are required to vacate the premises."

Elizabeth tilted her head curiously and Meliodas sadly laid his head on her lap—under her skirts saying, "She really was serious about building a bathroom up here."

"Sir?" Gowther watched them curiously, "should I tell them to come back later?"

His sigh right at her nether region sent chills up her spine, funny, since his breath was so delightfully warm. "No... we're coming." His grumbling was just too adorable for Elizabeth to resist patting the lump in her skirt that was his head comfortingly while suppressing a giggle.

^.~

Arrangements had been made for the Sins to stay at the castle until renovations were complete. Meliodas stayed behind with the construction team to make a few adjustments to Diane's designs while the others headed to meet with Merlin. Ban was oddly quiet, trailing behind with Gowther as King drifted beside Elizabeth—in a rather chipper mood. He was laying on his back on his floating pillow, tapping his foot from his upraised, crossed leg. Diane pranced on the other side of Elizabeth and rambled on about how great it would be to stay at the castle like real royalty.

They'd been instructed to meet Merlin at the Equestrian grounds. Elizabeth was stunned to see that nearly the entire east yard of the castle was devoted to it. Many squires and soldiers were running horses through exercises on on the vast green here. Merlin leaned against a rail meant for hitching up animals and watching a particular man training an impressive white stallion. When Diane saw Merlin's back turned as they approached, she waved happily and sprinted over to her. Elizabeth smiled (happy to be back in elven clothes instead of having to collect her skirts just to run) and ran after her, excited to see so many horses and men working together so naturally.

"Ahh," Merlin smiled at them, glancing over her shoulder before turning around and leaning her back and arms on the railing instead. "So there you are." she glanced around and raised a brow, "where's the captain?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond, but Diane spoke before her, "Oh you know him. People are messing with his precious tavern and he couldn't just leave well enough alone! Whatever, you can just give me the captain's suite!"

Merlin smiled smugly at her fellow Sin, "Silly Serpent, as if I'd bulge his head any more than it already is. Yours and Elizabeth's room are far superior," the mage winked at the both of them, "ladies' rooms usually are here in Britannia..."

Diane grinned contently at that, "Oh man! This is too great!" Then her smile faltered slightly, "so why did we meet here?"

Merlin sighed with mock tiredness, "I had hoped to introduce Meliodas to the horse master," she passed a glance as the strapping gentleman working with the stallion. "But I suppose it will have to wait."

Elizabeth leaned against the railing next to Merlin, "Who is he?"

Merlin closed her eyes and let a small smile grace her pink lips, "That, my dear princess, is Horse Master Nimue **(A/N pronounced Nemaway *nudge nudge*)**." Without glancing back at him, Merlin stood up straight and smirked at Ban and Gowther. "Come, I'll show you where you will be staying. I'll have you know, Arthur is absolutely thrilled to have you all here."

She walked right between Fox and Goat as she started to lead them indoors. Ban frowned at her strut and tsked, "Yea I'll bet he is."

Elizabeth reached up and put a hand on Ban's shoulder and smiled pleasantly. Ban looked over at her and rolled his eyes, "Yea, yea."

She then released him and continued past him, and Diane raced back up next to her, glaring, "Since when were you and Ban all buddy buddy?"

The princess just kept a smile that Diane could only assume she'd learned from the captain and placed her hands behind her back. Diane rolled her eyes and huffed, then glanced behind her to see the three men trailing behind them and cackled, thinking about what Merlin had said about their rooms.

Ban grinned for the first time that day when he saw that kind of laugh come from the Serpent Sin and bent over King's floating form, "Never a good thing when a chick laughs like that, eh King?"

King groaned, good feeling gone, and buried his head in his beloved pillow.

^.~

The guest suite of the castle was very impressive. As they'd walked, Merlin had told them that lunch was being brought to their rooms with Arthur's apologizes. He'd insisted on checking the northern border of Camelot himself yesterday, and was not due back until tonight or tomorrow. All the Sins' rooms were down the same wide hallway, the men's rooms on the interior side, while Diane's and Elizabeth's were on the exterior.

Merlin had led Elizabeth to her room last, and lingered while Elizabeth walked to the balcony. These exterior rooms looked to be corner suites, the men's rooms would not be granted the same majestic view of the outdoors. The princess smiled when she saw that the balcony over looked the Equestrian grounds. Merlin walked up beside her, and Elizabeth said, "There is something wonderful down there, man and beast working as one. It puts a common stereotype from my homeland to shame."

"Oh?" Merlin asked intrigued.

"Yes. Elves seem to think that man will bring the destruction of nature, and the extinction of the goddess' noble creatures. Yet, when you showed us Arthur's horse master... the way he spoke to the creature, soothed him, instructed him." Elizabeth looked to the mage, "it was not as a master instructing a pupil, but more like a father teaching a son." The princess blushed and looked down at her clasped fingers when Merlin's knowing gaze and smile fell on her, "it just makes me wish more elves would try to get to know man... is all."

"You are very wise indeed, Elizabeth." Merlin's eyes twinkled with joviality as she stepped to leave. "Be sure to stay that way should you ever become queen."

Elizabeth's brows furrowed at the back of the retreating mage. Why would she say something like that? Veronica would take the throne after her father, and she was not about to entertain the idea of marrying Hendrickson... A cold shiver ran down her spine as Merlin clicked the door shut behind her. Was Merlin able to see the future? No! There was absolutely no way her sister would fail in her duties, and she'd (accidentally) run away from negotiations of marriage. No, Merlin was simply offering her good advice.

A grandfather clock started tolling for the twelfth hour and it startled Elizabeth out of her thoughts. Shaking the shiver away, she jumped again when her stomach rumbled. Thank goodness no one had been around to hear that! She was alone.

 _Alone...?_

She hadn't been alone since she'd been swept up into her new life. Odd... how she hadn't missed the solitude she used to cherish.

Didn't Merlin say that lunch was being brought up to the rooms?

The third time she jumped was at a gentle wrapping at her door, confirming beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was very high-strung suddenly. Weird how just moments ago she had been at peace, but now she was jumping at nothing. When there was another tapping, it was followed by a woman's voice calling out hesitantly, "...Mistress?"

Elizabeth walked quickly to the door and let the servant in. They shared a friendly smile and the princess moved out of the way to allow the woman to push in the lunch cart she had with her. The woman had a scarf over her hair and tied under her chin, doing an injustice to the long, dark hair that draped down from it. Her smile was very kindly and her eyes seemed to naturally stay fox-faced. Elizabeth couldn't help but take an immediate liking to her.

"The cooks have tried to prepare a meal that might ease any homesickness you may be suffering from, I do hope you like it." The servant backed away and clasped her hands in front of her, plainly eager to pass along any compliments a princess might have for the king's chefs.

A sweatdrop began to form on Elizabeth's head, "Oh that is very kind of you..." She wasn't homesick at all actually, and found herself a little embarrassed by how complete strangers could be so considerate to how she might be feeling. The cart had a domed platter and two pitchers, one with wine, and the other with cool water with a single upside-down chalice between them. She had no intention of touching the wine. The servant was still standing there, patiently waiting, so Elizabeth lifted the dome with a planned compliment already on her lips when her words became jumbled in her throat and she dropped the dome to the floor with a gasp.

A severed head with dead eyes stared up at her from the intricate plate.

"Ugh." Another woman stepped out of a wardrobe against the wall to her right, "it's about time you got here Guila. I was about to stab myself in the face if I had to hear another squeak come from this pathetic girl's mouth."

Elizabeth couldn't move. She was absolutely terrified. A dead man's head on the platter, a disgusted voice of an unknown occupant stepping to her side, and the kind servant standing in front of her suddenly had a cruel smile replacing her previous sweet expression. They'd already killed at least one person to get in her room...

The fox-faced woman pulled off her handkerchief to reveal elven ears tipped with gray with a pleased sigh.

 _Drow_ elves...

"You'll have to forgive me, Jericho, it was tricky waiting for him to serve the others and catching him quietly before coming to her rooms."

Elizabeth grabbed the pitcher of wine as quickly as she could and spun around in an effort to crash it into the blunette beside her, but before she could finish her twist, the first woman fazed in front of her, catching and clutching her wrist tight enough for it to be rather painful—forcing her to drop the pitcher, shattering it into countless pieces. All the while, ticking a finger at her as though she'd been a naughty child.

The girl behind the other cooed, "Aww! Little archer wants to play warrior!"

"Disarm her. It's time to go." Guila ordered, that fearsome smile still toying with her features.

^.~

Diane opened the door to Elizabeth's room and playfully said, "Knock knock," while she entered. Her entrance was stopped short though when she noticed Elizabeth bent over the floor, cleaning up a hopelessly huge mess of wine and glass. "Elizabeth? What happened?"

"Uh... the handle broke off when I tried to pour a glass," the princess explained as she continued to pick up.

Diane gave the cart a once over. It still had her glass, untouched and upside down next to the domed plate and the jug of water. She frowned and looked back at Elizabeth, "I'm surprised you even wanted to touch the stuff, after last night's fiasco with Ban."

Elizabeth stopped and stood, holding the towel tightly in her hands, "Oh well... it looked like a fine wine to dine with."

Shaking her head, Diane tsked, "Sometimes I think you might be as hopeless as the other Sins, Elizabeth." The princess yelped when Diane grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room, "lunch is over, come on! Let's go exploring! I hear they've got a great archery range... somewhere."

"They, they do?" Elizabeth stuttered, being dragged away by the giant's inhuman strength.

As Elizabeth was pulled down the hall, a door on the other side of the hall opened, and Gowther stood there. "What is it you're doing, Lady Diane?"

Rolling her eyes, Diane spit her tongue out at him, "The princess and I are going out. What's it to you?"

Another door opened, and King curiously peeked out.

The pink hair on the man swayed to the side as he tilted his head, "Where is the princess then?"

"Are you blind, Gowther? She's right here!" Diane motioned to Elizabeth, who was slowly trying to edge behind a pillar.

Gowther shook his head, drew his bow and fired toward Elizabeth. Diane screamed and ran to push her out of the way. When the dust began to settle, Diane glared at Gowther, who was approaching slowly, " _Are you nuts, Gowther!"_

"What do you mean, nuts?"

Diane stood and growled at the Goat Sin, " _You just fired at Elizabeth!"_

Gowther simply adjusted his glasses, slightly adjusting his formidable bow of pure energy's aim and replied, "While I cannot be sure if this girl's name is indeed, Elizabeth, I doubt she is the Elizabeth you think her to be."

"What the hell are you talking about!" Diane hissed.

"Diane!" King stepped out into the hall, "Gowther can only see truth!"

Diane turned to him, and yelled angrily, "And what the hell is that supposed to mean!" She yelped as Gowther shot at Elizabeth again, Diane just barely managed to roll her out of the way.

King's voice cracked in his desperation to get Diane away from the woman, "It means that that girl must be an impostor!"

Diane had just released Elizabeth, then turned back to see her jumping out of the massive hole in the wall, _"WHAT?!"_

"More importantly..." Gowther walked calmly to the hole, glancing down in search of the princess, "where is the real Elizabeth?"

^.~

"Nope, those plans are no good. I want a corner tub big enough for two, and one of those new shower heads installed near the ceiling." Meliodas wadded up Diane's plans and tossed it over his shoulder.

The chief architect looked at him warily, "for it to have enough space, we'll have to take in some of the bedroom..."

The blonde just smiled, "That's fine."

As the man left to bark fresh orders at his crew, Hawk looked up at his partner with a disapproving scowl, "I don't know why you think you need a dumb master bathroom, Meliodas."

He shrugged and winked at him, "Sometimes things are just better... bigger."

"You're one to talk! You're as short as they get!"

Meliodas grinned, "And you're about as tasty as they get!"

"Eep!"

All good-hearted joshing aside, both of them were very ready to get to the castle for some lunch. Now that Diane's boring old bathroom had been done away with, there was nothing else stopping them. Besides, Meliodas was planning on having a sparring match with Arthur, so he needed to catch him on the practice grounds.

"Come on Hawk, let's meet up with the others."

Hawk oinked happily, "Alright! I'm getting hungry!"

As Hawk started trotting towards the castle, a strange breeze caught Meliodas' attention. It carried with it an unfamiliar scent mingled with one he had memorized not too long ago. He stopped and reached over his shoulder for a sword that wasn't there, then looked up in the sky. "Hawk! Wait."

The piggy turned around and scampered back to him nervously, "What is it Meliodas? Something wrong?"

"Yea..." He searched the sky, turning his head to look past the city's gates, "warn the others, and make sure Elizabeth is still safe."

"...You don't think she is?" Hawk worried, "wait, warn them of _what?"_

"I don't think she's there at all." Meliodas glanced back down at him, "but I could be wrong." Winking at the pig, he fazed out, moving far too fast for Hawk to be able to see.

Hawk squealed, running in circles, panicking and yammering on about what he should do before coming to a halt and taking a few very necessary breaths. "Get to the castle, check on Elizabeth... right!" He raced to the castle as fast as his little feet could carry him.

* * *

 **Hopefully the website is only TEMPORARILY broken, but that won't stop MY licks! I don't get to go down the site, gotta dig through my emails—so if I leave ne1 out... I SOWWIE! ME LICK YOU LONG TIME!**

 **RainStorm2122** **: Ban? Behave? Psssssshh! XD oh just you WAIT! His next scheme might just have you rofl'ing! And... you were cheering for some good natural fun times eh? Eeeehehehehe, we shall see! ;D  
evilpinklolli: I'm wagering that he's proud, and disappointed in himself at the same time. Yeees, poor poor Meli... XD THANK YOU SWEET LOLLI! (lick)  
** **fanficlove2014** **: There's no telling where mister Sin of Sloth wandered off to... best put it outta your mind... _ Drunk Ellie club? EEEEEEEE! I demand koozies! *read further for more info on King*  
** **Telynfair** **: Well! That's GREAT! I am extremely grateful that everything was great! :D The wait wasn't very long this time around—hehe, I couldn't stop writing! Gotta get it out while it's fresh in my head and all that! Ty!  
** **BettyBest2** **: It's cool, I'm tweaking the Arthurian legend as I see fit, since what I saw of this WONDERFUL anime only having a sliver of Merlin and Arthur. Damn but I love me some Camelot!  
** **RaspberryDiamonds** **: I am sure King will get to see her eventually—I'm just not sure as to whether it is sooner or later. Dwelling on whether there will be harsh feelings between siblings or not. We'll see.  
** **Calantha** **: Tears! Score! That's totally what I was going for there, Ban is such a diamond in the rough. T.T You get me Cal! Ty ty ty ty! I was choking up some too while writing it, I just love Ban so much. He should be happy! T.T!  
** **Deamonik** **: Elizabeth was not talking to herself: she pretended that Diane WAS her (Elizabeth) when she put the bracelet on her wrist (that way the messenger would think her task was complete and Elizabeth didn't have to possibly offend Arthur). Apparently this confused a few people, so I went back in to try and make it more clear. Hmm, I suppose her actions really did throw some people for a loop! And EEP! Excepting instead of accepting?! Imma change that RIGHT NOW! Ty! Oh, oh oh! ONE more thing: hehe, if I fed you to Ban... you'd LIKE it damnit! *smiles sweetly* Enjoy reading!**

 **Just for you**

 **Seriphia  
aka  
Lick**


	10. Many Ways for Sins to Play

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

Many Ways  
for Sins to Play

Ban was bent over, looking at the head on the platter at eye level. His eyes were a little more rounded than usual as he looked it over. Having finally made his decision, he kicked over the dome that was on the floor near his feet. "Yup, only one thing that could have made this kidnapping better."

Gowther looked up from where he was examining the wine all over the ground, "Yes? What is that?"

He grinned broadly and placed his hands on his hips, "If they had of put _my_ head on the plate!" He started laughing at his own morbid joke as he kept talking, "can you imagine? I'd look up at her and say, 'You're totally screwed, Princess'."

Gowther looked at him blankly, "I do not understand, are you saying that you would be an enemy? Or as an ally warning her of danger?"

Ban stopped laughing so abruptly that it was almost as though he had an off switch and he grimaced at the Goat Sin, "Maaaaan, great jokes are wasted on you."

Gowther looked back down, noting a few spills were sloshed to the left, as though the wine was being swung before it was dropped, "Apologizes, Sir Ban, I will try to relate your joke to Lady Diane and Sir King when they return."

Ban sighed and waved him off, "Baaah. Don't bother."

^.~

Upon learning the fake Elizabeth had duped her, Diane had raced out of the castle's new balcony to chase down the impostor in a furious rage. King had followed her, worried that they had no idea what this person could or couldn't do. The problem was, except for people on the ground floor pointing at Gowther's giant hole in the wall, there were no leads as to where she'd ran off to. Whoever it was, they were either very fast, or very good at hiding.

It didn't take too long to discover that it was the latter, when the two of them heard a masculine voice cry out for someone to wait from inside the stables. Diane and King shared a glance and sprinted towards the building just as soon as a woman, still wearing Elizabeth's face burst through the huge double doors on a massive war horse. Diane and King both grinned at their good fortune and worked in sync to take her down. King immediately sent his Chastiefol in its pillow form straight into the beast's path as Diane cried out her rage as she leapt at the rider as soon as the horse tried to go right through King's Sacred Treasure. The woman made a very feminine yelp that sounded nothing like Elizabeth as Diane ruthlessly drove her from her mount and into the dirt. Diane was on top of her with a strong knee planted on her back as she hissed curses at the woman who had tricked her so easily.

Ban heard all the commotion and decided that it seemed more fun than standing around at the crime scene, so he jumped down the three stories to meet up with King and company.

The Serpent Sin was lifting the fake Elizabeth up, holding her elbows behind her back to the point of almost ripping them off; though it did not stop the woman from struggling and flinging curses of her own. King floated in front of her and pointed his weapon in its mighty single spear form right at her head, "Who are you? Where is the princess?" He was rather proud of how his voice carried like a king, it never seemed to do that very well when he was with his comrades.

The woman glared pure hatred at him, " _Lit aine'shay it ureh meli bayiaeht!"_

Ban made his way to stand next to King and frowned, "What the fuck did she say?" He nodded to the girl menacingly, "you talkin about his mom?"

King shook his head, "No... she's speaking in ancient Drow... not many even remember the language."

Ban cupped his head behind his head and glanced at King through the corner of his eyes, "So are you saying she's an old hag then?"

The woman suddenly scoffed indignantly, "You bastard! I am not!"

Ban gleamed his canines at her, "Good, so she understands us just fine!"

"I could have told you that, you idiot!" Diane grumbled, getting sick of struggling with the woman and kicked the back of her knee. Her captive's eyes widened as she fell from her useless leg, though Diane did not let her fall far, so she only hung her head down and began mumbling something incoherent under her breath.

"Damn this girl's annoying! What's she doing now?"

King's eyes widened, "Ban! She's saying a prayer for the passing of the dead!"

"Nope!" Ban quickly grabbed a handful of her hair and forced his entire hand into her mouth just as she was biting down. Ban sucked in a pained breath as her teeth fell down on his hand as it quickly found what he figured must have been in there. Gripping it firmly in his hand, he smirked at the woman he was affronting, "you can let go now. It's aaaaaaall over."

The woman began streaming tears and released his hand, hanging her head down in complete defeat.

Ban held his mangled hand up to his face, sniffing the small capsule he'd stopped her from biting down on. "Heh, this chick was serious!" He showed it to King with a freshly mended hand.

King's eyes widened, then looked back to the girl, "But why? Nothing is worth that!"

"What is it?!" Diane huffed, stomping a foot.

King floated in front of the woman with furrowed brows and an utterly serious expression, waving his hand over her, dispelling her disguise. Diane gasped, "A drow elf!"

Ban shook his head, "A suicidal drow? Huh. Guess Hawk grew wings after all."

"What do you mean?" Diane huffed.

King motioned to the small purple and red capsule Ban held, "Dragonsbane. It's potent enough to kill her instantly."

"Heh," Ban smiled, "she probably wouldn't even have to swallow it. The stuff would even give me a pretty nasty headache." He looked back over at her, "What's your name, Drow?"

She spat at his feet, "Go to the nine hells where you belong, Sin."

"Feisty," was Ban's quick response.

Gowther was watching them from the castle, always best to stay on the high ground, and called out: "Sir Ban? Did you say that that is dragonsbane? May I have it?"

Ban snickered to himself, oh how Gowther was going to have to pay for it—not laughing at his funny joke! "I dunno, Goatman, I think you're gonna have to earn it!"

^.~

The wind rushed past her ears as the woman called Guila held her at her waist as though she was nothing more than a sack of dirty laundry. Elizabeth hadn't felt this helpless since the dark days after her mother had passed. Her bow and quiver had been taken by this woman's accomplice and Elizabeth felt naked without them. These were the reasons she had been trained, so that she could defend herself against kidnapping and assassination attempts—and now that it had been put to the test, she had failed miserably.

Guila's grip on her was strong, and she was moving at such a speed that it was hard just to move. They had cleared the city with nothing more than a few effortless bounds which led Elizabeth to wonder who this woman was, was she a soldier sent from the drow elves? Or a mercenary sent from a noble? Did whoever ordered her to take her expect the cold blooded murder she'd committed just to take a single runaway princess?

Or perhaps this was about something else entirely...?

Whatever the reason, Elizabeth knew that she couldn't let her take her to where ever she was headed. But how could she get free? She certainly couldn't struggle her way out of her grasp, especially now that she was leaping across mountain tops. Elizabeth tried to remember her geographical studies, wondering which mountain range this was, but her mind couldn't think of maps—she kept seeing that poor man's head sitting where her lunch should have been. Such a horrible thing to do to someone's body. One must never forget that every corpse had once lived a life, life was the ultimate gift of the goddesses', and this woman had cut him down and beheaded him just to get to her.

She was so frightened, she disgusted herself.

Guila was hardly touching the ground, her toes would barely touch down on a mountain before leaping back into the air, crossing a massive amount of land before touching down again and repeating. Elizabeth thought she smelled a river nearby, and started to wonder if she could somehow get the drow elf to drop her when she found it... but with how high they were, she'd just as likely become a smear on the mountainside.

Then everything shattered, literally. When Guila came to land on yet another mountain, she cried out as the ground below her came apart, forcing her jumping to quickly turn into falling. Elizabeth began to scream with her when she realized that they were careening off a cliff until suddenly an unseen force pushed Guila away, ripping her hold on her in the process. Now she was falling with no hope of having anything to smooth the landing, and she really was panicking. A small part of her told her she should be sending a prayer out, but the biggest part of her was much too scared.

Then, as if the goddesses' were answering the prayer she never prayed, a blonde savior scooped her up from his own downward angled jump. He held her bridal style and landed against the side of a cliff, grappling a hanging vine with the same arm that supported her back. He'd come for her! She'd been sure he'd never be able to find her even after an extensive investigation, yet here he was.

She looked up at him, and said in a hoarse voice, "Sir, Sir Meliodas!"

He was scanning the sky in the direction Guila had been sent with eyes of a hunter. When there was not yet any sign of her, the Sin Captain looked down at her with the most carefree smile imaginable; almost like it was his idea to take her out on a mountainside stroll. "That's the second time I've caught a pretty elf falling from the sky. I can't decide who's luckier, you, or me." His smile turned into a smirk and he slid his hand down the vine, giving Elizabeth a sense of falling again. She didn't mean to scream in his ear, truly, but she wrapped her arms around his neck as tight as she could and let loose that scream. Elizabeth was going to have to reevaluate her standing on whether or not she had a fear of heights.

When the vine was near its end, Meliodas kicked his foot against the cliff and jumped from it, landing on a lower cliff across the gorge. Elizabeth's head was buried in his neck and her own arms, frozen in place. She held him so tightly that he probably could have removed his hands and she still wouldn't fall—not that he'd ever dream of doing such an atrocity.

It was the feel of his chest moving from a chuckle that finally brought the princess to lift up her head. Doing this, placed her face directly in Meliodas', with her nose against the side of his. She could see the happy mischief in his eyes, plain as day.

His hand crept up to her breast and he actually moved even closer to her face, sending her budding blush into a blossoming crimson as he said softly, "You can get down now." Then he lowered his voice to a sinister droll, "but only if you want to."

Elizabeth hesitantly moved her legs from his arms, and stood slowly. Though she looked back at him curiously when his hand still remained firmly on her breast. He smiled like the scoundrel her sister warned her he was under her gaze. "Umm... Sir Meliodas?"

He brought the hand he'd had on her to his lips, "Shh, we're not out of this yet." Placing his hands on both her forearms, he sidestepped her about four steps to the higher wall and winked at her, "stay here."

As soon as he placed himself at her front, debris came down all around them. As it cleared, the fox faced woman dressed in white stood tall and strong not ten paces from them.

"Well, well, didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to steal what was already stolen?"

Meliodas folded his arms and smiled, "Is that a crack at how short I am?" He then rolled his eyes back and scratched his head, "cause I gotta say, I'm a little sensitive about that."

Guila laughed, "Aww, well I hope I didn't hurt your feelings!"

With a shrug and a smirk, the knight bent down in a ready stance, "I think I'll manage."

Unsheathing a silver masterpiece of a long sword, the drow elf started walking towards them, "I do hope you can keep up that attitude for long enough to die smiling, little man."

Meliodas used a hand to motion Elizabeth back while he eyed the woman in front of him. Something shifted in his eyes for a fleeting moment, typically unnoticed by adversaries, however this woman knew to look for it, and hesitated.

"You... you're the one people speak of." Her smile widened, "the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins himself." Her head tilted, "did you think you could keep the little bastard princess all to yourself? Silly dragon."

This caused a frown to wipe away his smile and he growled out, "Say what you want of me, but for every time you speak ill of Elizabeth in my presence," a shadow crossed over his face. "I will break one of your bones."

Guila tossed her head back in laughter and Elizabeth wondered how she could take such threats so lightly. The drow pointed her sword at them and lowered her eyebrows, "Little demon cast away wants to challenge a knight of the Alliance of Mists? You don't even have a sword."

"Oh!" Meliodas blinked and looked around the area. He made a "ah" sound as he happily picked up a stick and swiped it through the air a few times to check its balance. "I think this'll do."

Both Guila and Elizabeth gave him the same blank stare while the knight before them looked over the twig as one might inspect a fine blade. Guila opened her mouth to protest such an offense, but Meliodas looked up and swiped his make shift weapon at her. Her eyes actually cracked open for a moment when she saw that she indeed had to block the wind resistance from his attack—if attack was what it was.

"Why you! How can that be!" Guila pointed at him and the space in front of him exploded immediately, pulling a grunt from her opponent as he danced back ever so slightly. "Now be a good little man and die so I can bring the sad excuse for a princess in!"

Elizabeth's ear twitched when she barely heard Meliodas whisper, " _That's two..."_ He jumped into the air with his arms spread wide, nothing but the tiny branch in his left hand and Guila shook her head smiling. Raising her sword, she pointed it at the man and three consecutive explosions erupted one after another, tattering his clothes and bringing his leap off course.

Elizabeth began to run after him with eyes filled with worry, "Sir Meliodas!" Before she made it far, the drow swordswoman fazed in front of her and snatched her wrist, twisting it in just the right way to bring Elizabeth to her knees with a painful yelp.

"Now, now little princess, save your screams for when you're begging my master to forgive your sorry excuse for an existence."

 _Three..._

Meliodas landed in a crouch and bared his teeth and yelled out, "Don't you touch her!" In one effortless bound, he drove into the offending knight with his palm thrust out and dealt back out every explosive attack she'd sent his way.

Her screams were much louder than his grunts. Elizabeth ducked when she heard such explosions so close to her, burying her head into her arms to protect her sensitive ears and her head from debris. As the sounds ended, she lifted up to see Meliodas crouched in front of her, guarding her from any and all damage she might have received from being so close to Guila when he attacked. The princess blinked the dust from her eyes, inevitably watering them. The Sin of Wrath was looking right at her with that patented smile as he wiped away a bit of stone dust that had settled on her cheek. "Are you alright?"

Elizabeth unconsciously brought her hand to the wrist Guila had twisted, checking it while locked in his gaze. "Um... yes. It doesn't hurt." _Much..._

Meliodas raised a brow very slightly before nodding. He then stood and walked back to Guila, who was plastered on the floor, slowly trying to raise up to her elbows. The Sin Captain thought it might be a good time to make right on his promise and squatted in front of her. Holding up three fingers. "As to our arrangement, I get to snap three of your bones. Now, you'd be amazed with how many bones a body actually has. So..." he gave her a genuinely sympathetic smile, "I would be careful as to how you answer my questions so that I only break little bones, instead of something that might keep you from getting home."

Guila's ears tugged down, "You... you used Full Counter. How, how is that possible?"

Meliodas smiled and winked, "I think I'm the one asking the questions." He held up his first finger, "One." He paused, noticing that the drow was starting to sweat. Would she actually tell him anything worthwhile? "What did you have for breakfast today?"

"Wha, whaaat?" Guila's eyes peeked out at him in surprise.

In his squatted position, he held up a finger from both hands. "This one can cost you either a finger bone, of a pretty important little bone in your foot." Meliodas weighed his two fingers, waiting for her to tell the truth or tell a lie.

The answer all but spilled out of her, "Rice cakes with honey and carrots!"

Meliodas watched her response for a moment, then nodded himself. "Alright." With no worries as to whether she was lying, he took her hand and bent her middle finger back until it snapped—never batting an eyelash at the scream Guila cried out. Once she quieted down to mere whimpers, he spoke again. "Question two. Now this one is worth either your pinky finger, or your leg." He held out his own little finger as a visual.

"What kind of flowers did you pick when you were a little girl?"

Guila shook her head, completely bewildered, "Purple, um, lilies... I think they were lilies."

Meliodas looked up in thought for a moment before nodding again. "I'll accept that." He grabbed the elf's other hand and snapped it right at the middle joint, bringing another ear numbing cry of pain from the woman.

Elizabeth winced, her own ears wilting in her sympathy for even this woman.

Shaking his head, the blonde watched Guila again, leaning his arms on his knees. "Now... we'd be done by now if you could have just kept your mouth shut." He didn't like doing this, but he'd made a promise, and if this girl was to be his enemy—she needed to know he kept them. "Pay attention, because this one is important. Ahem." He adjusted his legs a little as he cleared his throat, "This one will be either your arm..." Meliodas looked down at her in complete seriousness for the first time since she'd touched Elizabeth, "or your neck."

The princess covered her mouth, praying that her assailant spoke the truth, or at least, make Meliodas believe she was.

"What... do you think about men with pink hair?"

The look of complete shock on Guila's face should have been captured by future technology and preserved for all time. Her jaw hung open and her words had trouble forming, "Is, is, th,this a joke?!"

Meliodas tilted his head, "Is that your answer?"

"No!" The drow elf shook her head vigorously, growing redder by the second. She buried her head into her arms and debris and muttered something incoherent.

Meliodas cupped his ear closer and sung out tauntingly, "I can't hear~you!"

Guila's head popped back up and she cried out, "Yes! I believe that if a man is unashamed of such a natural color as that, his fearlessness of judgment should be commended! Most male pinkettes change their hair and keep the natural color as nothing more than their dirty little secret!"

Meliodas raised both his eyebrows, surprised at the detail she placed in her answer, then smiled his own fox-face, "Well that's great!" He stood up and took a step to her side, bent over and grabbed her hand, planting his other hand on her elbow and bent it backwards. Even before the sickening crack was heard, the girl was crying out in pain. He dropped her limp arm down and muttered one last reminder to never speak ill of the princess in front of him, and left her. Returning to Elizabeth still sitting on the ground where Guila had put her, he held his hand out with a triumphant smile, "I hope that wasn't too much for you to watch, Elizabeth."

The princess took his hand as she thought as quickly as she could for an answer. He had warned Guila that he would snap her bones for every time she spoke hatefully... but the questions he asked were so light and carefree, the woman would have had no reason to lie. Not to mention, Elizabeth knew enough about anatomy to tell that every bone he'd displaced had been at a joint. The woman may be able to even pop them back into place and only have a hairline fracture to contend with.

Most demons would have simply destroyed...

"Um... no. I'm alright... Sir Meliodas."

They scaled down many steep slopes and Elizabeth began to hear the water she'd smelled. Her breathing was labored and her heart was burdened, only to discover that she was also intensely thirsty. So whereas Meliodas had planned to turn left toward the city, Elizabeth turned right toward the water. He admired her forthrightness and followed her, enjoying the view as she hopped lower to reach the river that flowed there.

Finally! The princess knelt by the river and cupped a generous amount of water into her hands and drank deep. Once her thirst was sated, she could _hear_ the smile on his face when he said, "Feel better?"

Her hair pulled around her back and over her shoulder when she looked over the other to look back at him. Standing there with a hint of the smile he possessed when he'd spoke as though he hadn't just been laughing at her—at least a little. "Much better, thank you Sir Meliodas." Her ears raised slightly as she felt her curiosity bubbling over again. "Um, can I... ask you something?"

The knight raised his eyebrows, his own curiosity peaking. "Well yea, what is it?"

Elizabeth turned around but stayed seated by the river and looked up at him, "How... how did you find me? You couldn't have even returned to the castle in such a short amount of time."

He put his hands on his hips and flashed her the determined look of a confident warrior, "I suppose you could say... my princess-senses were tingling!"

The elf's eyes went wide and she pressed her lips together tightly, but it just simply couldn't be contained and she burst out laughing. She pointed to him, and laughed more, angling a thumb to her and nearly rolled over from her fit. The way he'd puffed out his chest as he said it had been just too much and she lost every bit of the noble dignity that she had been trained over and over to never loose in her joy to have not only been rescued, but been rescued by this heroic, funny and stunningly handsome man that called himself _her_ knight. As she began to fall over, Meliodas was there at her side, allowing her to lean on him, instead of plummeting into the river.

All her joy quickly melted away when she noticed that in her laughter, the different color of the eye she always kept hidden behind her bangs was revealed. When he noticed that she noticed, that _he_ noticed **(XD)** , he played it off as nothing and stood up, pulling her up with him. Elizabeth found herself extremely nervous about what he might say about it and she bit her lip, fearing his damnation more than anything. More than the air that she breathed, more than the blood flowing through her veins, she found herself more terrified than when she'd been taken by Guila.

"I'm tired. Let's get to that cave up there behind the fall. If there is an enemy scout, they'll be hard placed to check there."

"But... Sir Meliodas..." she started, but he cut her off, acting like he agreed with whatever she was about to say.

"Yea, it does look pretty hard to get to." He hefted her up into his arms again, placing a hand on her ample bosom this time while saying, "up we go!" With three tall leaps up the rocky cliff, he was walking her through the waterfall, and into a cave. Meliodas stopped a little past the fall and whistled lowly, "bigger than I thought it'd be."

Fearing that this might be the last time he ever held her, Elizabeth buried her head in his shoulder trying with futility to hold her tears.

Meliodas felt her shaking and he knelt down, keeping her in his arms. He leaned over her hair and spoke softly, but with the question clear in his voice, "Elizabeth, what's wrong?"

She clung to him tighter, and began to sob more now that she knew she wasn't hiding it. Her hands dug into his shirt and she curled into him snugly. Meliodas wrapped his arms around her calmly, and waited for her to calm. All her life, her mother had advised her to keep her eye hidden. A lesson she learned for true after she'd passed and she was forced into life outside her mother's home. Such a small child to be condemned by her people for something she couldn't ever do anything about. Slowly, her sobs began to grow into words, "I can't help it! It, It's not my fault!" She lifted up from his shoulder and began to look at him, but thought better of it and kept her head lowered, "please don't hate me..."

Meliodas shook his head with his eyebrows raised in shock, "I could never... Elizabeth. Why...?"

Her words were wrangled between her cries, "Because those things Guila said were true! I am a bastard, my blood is unclean!" However, all her tears and sniffs halted as soon as she felt the familiar rumble his chest did when he chuckled. She looked up at him, her visible and covered eye rounded with curiosity, "Sir Meliodas...?"

The knight shook his head at the ridiculous thought while his eyes danced with mirth. This is what she was upset about? Preposterous. He stroked the back of his hand down her cheek, then used it to lift the bangs she always kept down. "Do you think a demon who lives among men would care about a mixed elf?"

 _He knows! Oh Goddesses' he knows!_ Elizabeth pulled back from him and buried her face in her hands. She could hear him rise to stand again, but he did not walk away as she was sure he would. Meliodas placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke gently, "I may not have known you were part drow when I promised I would be yours, but I did know you were an adopted princess." His hand grew more firm on her shoulder, "the only problem that arises now is that the drows may think they have some sort of claim to you, and can talk Baltra down should they ever successfully take you because of it."

Elizabeth looked up at him, her mind echoing his words _I promised to be yours_ again in her head. Meliodas looked back down at her, recapturing her gaze, "And I swear I won't let that happen."

The blonde warrior with the damp, ruffled hair knelt down in front of her on one knee, the waters behind them distorting the shadows into an eerie blue wavy blur. He continued to stare into her eyes as he took her hand and lifted it to his lips, waiting until the very last moment to close his eyes when he kissed her hand. His lips lingered, and both knight and princess savored the feeling. When he finally lowered her hand, he opened his eyes and Elizabeth saw the vast age behind them once more. Her tears started coming a new as Meliodas stood and she dived into his chest, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

He smiled light heartedly again and stroked the back of her head with his hands. After another moment, Meliodas asked, "Are you ready to head back now?"

Elizabeth shook her head, still holding his waist tightly by only standing from her knees, "Could we stay like this, for just a little longer?"

The knight simply wrapped his hands around her neck and murmured gently, "As you wish."

^.~

King and Hawk barreled into Diane's room, where Diane, Ban, and Merlin all sat drinking mugs of strong wizard's ale. "What are you doing?!" King cried, while Hawk squealed, "We've got to go after Elizabeth!"

Ban snickered, "Relax guys! Everything's under control."

Fuming, King floated toward them, "How? Gowther has a woman chained to his wall that impersonated the princess, and that princess is _still gone!_ You tell me which part of that under control!?"

Ban held up a finger with a foxy grin and spoke at nearly the same time as Merlin, "You left out the head of the dead guy next door."

"Oh is that where she is?" Merlin rose from a sofa and stretched, tossing Ban her empty mug, "I'm going to go see her about a little information then..." The mage walked past King flaunting a smug smile and patting Hawk's head on her way out.

As King's eyes fell on Diane and Ban, Diane rolled her eyes, "Settle down! The captain has it all under control, okay?"

King blinked his surprise, "Wha, what?"

"Seriously," Ban reclined more into the plushy seat in Diane's room, "you don't really think he'd let them make off with _his_ princess do you?"

"Uh... Well, but..." The floating fairy hesitated.

"Eeeeeek! We should _really_ go after them now!" Hawk cried, dancing on antsy hooves.

All four of them winced when they heard a few things crash and tinkle and bang from another room across the hall. They then heard a rather disturbing conversation pour out.

Merlin: Gowther! What the hell do you think you're doing with that!?

Gowther: Is there something wrong? I checked the employee records before hand and saw that he was a registered donor, does that not mean he doesn't mind what we do with his cadaver?

Merlin: Errr, uh... hmm, wait, _NO!_ Put him back together this instant! His body needs to go to morticians!

Gowther: I am quite well trained in the same art as they.

Merlin: Wait, are those eyes from a—ugh! _NOW Gowther!_

Gowther: Oh very well... honestly, I cannot imagine how one is to learn if they cannot look.

All three of the Sins' had rather different expressions from overhearing the conversation spilling out into the hall. King looked a little blue in the face, Diane had disgust written all over hers... and Ban, well Ban just started laughing, and took another drink.

* * *

 **Woooooooo! I am really diggin how this alternate reality stuff gives me more freedom than previous fics. Thank you all for your support! LUV YOU GUYS!**

 **SUPER IMPORTANT INTERROGATION QUESTIONS:  
Breakfast?  
Flowers?  
Men?**

 **It's lickin time! _LUV URE LICKIN!_**

 **Betty** **: You'll find that Gowther is extremely helpful in many aspects of this tale, he's just too awesome not to be!  
** **Annabellee** **: Thank you! I shall persevere! Writing fights is definitely my weak point, fortunately, most of the time enemies don't hold a chance against a Sin. ;D  
** **Telynfair** **: Hehe, I was hoping lunch would turn a few heads! Just a minor change in the day's plan is all, it's s'ok! You totally called Meliodas' joke btw! XD!  
** **Cala S** **: Yes. Yes he is. Meliodas is a straight badass. You just gotta love him!  
** **ObsidianPhantom** **: Yea... I think I've become a tad addicted to cliffhangers... and what?** ** _Whaaaat?_ Meli? Our lovable Meli? Seducing a poor naive little princess? Naaaaaaaaah! Oh, Oh! And a agree, surely he's learned a thing or two by now! *wink wink, nudge nudge*  
** **rawrtsuna** **: *blush* tacos are great, but I would ask for another commandment. Your review makes me giggle every time I read it! How does one bring Ban and Elaine together... _hmmmm..._ we shall see how things go. This story is in for a loooong ride.  
** **my Luv** **: Shame on you! Torture BAD! And you call** ** _me_ the crazy one?! tisk tisk tisk. ((the best people are!))  
** **It's Stormy** **:** ** _Bathroom big enough for two is right!_ I'm settin up scenes everywhere! Where IS this natural fun lovin going to occur? HMMMMM? Meliodas bleach, XD HAH!  
** **Deamonik** **: The fluff! It's just so FLUFFEH!  
Scarlet Lovely** **: I always wondered that too! I keep almost writing that she does smack him. Meh, I suppose she might start should their relationship turn official? Wouldn't that be great? Now that he can in private, he can't in public? XD**

 **Just for you my lovelies**

 **Seriphia  
aka  
Lick**


	11. Can't Rain all the Time

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

㈴6 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO ASHLEYK2010㈴6  
She received news today that all her hard work last semester put her on the  
** _ **PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR'S LIST  
**_ **last semester. So here's a shout out to ya girl! Cheers!**

Can't Rain all the Time

Nothing. Blackness everywhere.

Silence so deep it threatened to swallow noise and add it to its dark abyss.

Elves feared darkness with no moon, felt that nothingness was an impossibility, and that silence was nothing but a warning of impending danger. By the will of diminishing her own fears, Elizabeth was able to force two spotlights to appear from the nothing that consumed all. These lights shone down before her, showing her two paths.

To her right, Sir Meliodas stood casually smiling, with his hands tucked into his pockets.

To the left, her dear father, draped in robes of red.

Neither of them could see her, under the cover of never ending darkness.

Which way?

Taking a step forward, undecided as to her direction, she gasped when a rattling was heard followed by a tug at her arms. Chains? Her hands felt heavy.

 _You don't belong with either. Come home, Tay'daishar._

"Wha, what?" The voices within her head echoed and grew stronger, until it screamed:  
 _Tay'daishar!  
Tay'daishar!  
Tay'daishar!_

"No!" Elizabeth covered her ears in a futile effort to hush the voices. Her eyes looked up to see Meliodas, looking around with such a carefree smile. Raising herself up, she decided she must reach his light. Everything would be better if she could simply get to him. She reached forward desperately and cried out for him, but the tug at her chains grew too strong and it began to feel as if she were going backwards.

 _Foolish. That is where your heart lies? You seal their doom, should you not come home._

Fear exploded from within her as she realized that she was sinking. Into what, she did not know—but she knew she was sinking below the two men she loved. The darkness swallows all.

Elizabeth's screams echoed only in her own ears here in this place that could not echo, as her body was being pulled down by licks of shadow. No more smiles, no more laughter. Too far gone from those she loved.

With the last remnants of her strength, she reached out to him to no avail. She tried to scream, but she could only whisper—though it would have fallen on deaf ears anyway, "Mel... Meli...odaaas...!"

"Elizabeth?"

Golden rays from a setting sun filtered in from the waterfall and basked the cave in a gentle glow when Elizabeth opened her eyes. A playful glint in a pair of green eyes meet hers from above as she felt her head was propped up and warm. Too warm for a damp cave. She did not care though, for the gaze of the knight above her melted the pains of her dream and faded it away to depths of the subconscious. "...Sir Meliodas...?"

"Yes? You've been calling for me in your sleep." His eyes glazed over to dreamy as he purred, "it would have sounded better had you not seemed so scared."

She could feel him stroking her hair, and only through hundreds of years of disciplinary teachings had her sitting up instead of indulging in his petting. Looking about, the passage of time registered to her, "Oh my! The sun! Is it setting or rising?"

Meliodas chuckled, and propped up a knee to lean against, never looking away from how lovely she looked bathed in the tumbling light. "It's sunset, I was hoping you'd wake so we could enjoy it together."

"We should get back! The others—they must be worried about you by now," Elizabeth fretted.

With a smirk and a shake of the head, he replied, "I think they'd be more worried about you."

The elf shook her head glumly, "Don't, don't tease me Sir Meliodas... you are their captain, it is you they worry for."

"Ya know," Meliodas leaned in closer, very close and whispered, "if you keep doubting your place in our hearts... I may have to punish you."

Her eyes grew wide, "Pun... punish... me?"

"Yup." His voice was extremely husky, and her elven eyes suddenly noticed how his tattered clothes allowed her to see the muscles on his chest and arms very clearly... and how strong one of his legs must be.

Meliodas smiled when he saw the blush spread on her face, "I told you that you were one of us. If that little fact can't sink through then I may just have to punish you now..."

He began to lean even closer, but Elizabeth was more than aware that she was truly and completely alone with this demon lord and quickly scooted away and stood up, "No, no, Sir Meliodas! I understand! I, I dun, don't think, pun... punishment is necessary! Err... thank you."

Meliodas looked up at her from his attempt to crawl on top of her and... was that a lower lip hanging out (?) (...nah), and slowly stood up with a sigh. "Alright, Elizabeth." He winked playfully at her, "but this is your final warning. You're one of us now."

Elizabeth shook her head vigorously, adding a delightful jiggle to her ample bosom that forced her knight's eyes to tug down as she imagined what sort of punishment a demon lord could come up with. Wringing her hands nervously, she said, "I understand, Sir Meliodas, thank you, Sir Meliodas."

…. …The Dragon Sin was a little preoccupied staring unashamed to respond.

"Um... Sir Meliodas?" Elizabeth bent over in an effort to get his attention, never once thinking that he was having very impure thoughts at the moment—which only grew worse when she leaned over, allowing him to see down the triangle King had cut out of the particular top she was wearing.

With only the best intentions, the blonde brought his hands to cup her breasts... to get him out of the trance they trapped him in, of course. With his hands properly in place, Meliodas was able to look up into her eyes—the brilliant red blossoming from her cheeks bringing him back from his Elizabeth-induced stupor. He smiled at the pressed lips and wide eyes, and the closed mouth squeak that came when he squeezed them happily. "You ready to head back then?"

"Um..." the elf with the twitching ears stood up straight, apparently just making his groping a little easier for him ironically. "Yes," she whispered breathlessly.

Just like that, the Sin Captain released her and turned around, exposing a massive hole in his shirt and vest from when he'd protected her from his own attack against her kidnapper. He looked to her over his shoulder and pointed at his back with his thumb. "Hop on."

Elizabeth stared at his back... completely untarnished from the battle, though his shirt was in shreds. Shaking herself from the heat he'd risen within her (causing her to gape at his glorious back like the naïve little virgin she was), she repeated, "...Hop... on...?"

Suddenly the Sin turned back around with his intuitive eyes looking upward with a thoughtful finger tapping his lips, "Well, I suppose you could hop on my front instead..." He brought his gaze back to her, his eyes fading to a darker shade, "but it might take us a little longer..."

Oh Goddesses! Where oh where was that sweet pig when she needed him?! "I, I... I, I, I,"

The shade of his eyes lightened a bit and his smile did as well, but not by much. "We are supposed to be on our way to our honeymoon right?"

That brought her back—a little, "Sir, Sir Meliodas, I thought we were no longer pretending."

He simply smiled and turned around, draping her arms over his shoulders himself. Once her breasts were firmly against his back enough that he could feel her increased heart rate he replied, "You're right. I guess I'll just have to find the right time to propose." With that said, the Dragon Sin jumped into the air at such a high speed that Elizabeth never got a chance to try and respond.

Not that she would have been able to much more than stammer.

 _Oh Hawk, I never believed much in chaperons... but now I understand! This is just too much! Why must his back be so warm!_

It wasn't long before he also guided her legs to curl around him so he could assist her comfort by letting her sit on his hands. They certainly weren't as small as they appeared!

^.~

 _Meanwhile..._ in Diane's suite...

Hawk shivered, "Did you feel that? It's _freezing_ in here!"

Ban was completely red faced, lounging on a cushioned chair good enough for a throne any day of the week with one leg hung over an arm rest while the other leg protruded well into the middle of the sitting area. "Nope, Pretty cozy in here, Master," he replied as he doctored his ale.

"You-know..." Diane sat up from the sofa across from the chair, lazily kicking Ban's foot as she slurred, "you dun havta stay here, ya-know... you-should wait fer Cap-tain sumwhere else." She suddenly barked out a laugh, "Yoooooou stink."

Ban's grin grew wide and he eyed King, silently sitting next to the sprawled out Sin of Envy nervously looking into his own mug as though the meaning of life might be hidden within its depths. Through his canines, Ban drawled out, "Like I'm gonna leave without knowing our dear princess is safe. No way. This chair is waaaaay too comfy."

Hawk leapt up, a chill visibly going down his spine, "There is is again! My rump feels like it's in the cooler!"

Tilting his mug towards the carpet, Ban snickered as he watched the wizard's ale spill onto the floor, "Drink up, Master! This'll warm ya up!"

"Daaaaaaammit Ban!" Diane tried kicking him again but instead of hitting him, her leg swung too far and she slid off the cushion and onto the floor with a thud, "Oooooowwie!" She started to laugh uncontrollably.

Laughter that stretched to Ban.

King melted onto the floor with Diane, spilling more drink for Hawk, "Are you alright, Diane?" He articulated slowly so that his words were clear over his alcohol induced state.

The Serpent Sin just kept laughing and grabbed King's face, stretching it in a way that would have been very uncomfortable to a sober man as she giggled, "You gotta cute~face!"

King was in the process of dying with a smile as she kept pulling at him when Merlin walked in and placed a hand on her hip at the scene. Ban was still in his laughing fit, and Hawk was moving over to the second spill, hiccuping all the way.

"Well, aren't you all a piece of work." She chuckled, light dancing in her eyes.

The Fox Sin looked over to her and held up his empty mug, "Sup Merlin! This ale has to be one of the best ever!"

"I should hope so..." Merlin walked further into the room and mumbled the next part under her breath, "it only takes a few centuries of aging to get it potent enough for the likes of a Sin..."

Diane looked up at her, holding a happy but tortured fairy king up, "Whazzat, Merlin?"

"Nothing at all dear. I'm glad you're enjoying."

Ban narrowed his eyes and raised a brow, "Any sign of Capt yet?"

Pink lips curled upward slowly as she responded, "Oh, he'll be along shortly I'm sure. Wouldn't want the princess to catch a cold after all..."

"Rain comin?" Ban asked, focusing on the mage's form—trying not to see double. Two Merlins? He wasn't playing that.

"You might say that..." She drawled out in the same voice.

"Aaaaaahhh." Hawk fell on his side, "I feel like a pig in a blanket now!"

"There's a good Master." Ban chuckled, lifting his mug to that and brought it to his lips. Only to frown regrettably and eye its emptiness unhappily.

Three and two flashes of bright white filled the windows followed by an earth shattering crack. Ban leaned forward and smirked at Merlin, "Thunder and lightning? Figures."

Diane hugged King's face tightly, her cheeks red and her face femininely frightened, "That was sooooo lo~ud!"

"Mmmmmur—uuurmph..." King replied.

Merlin turned back to the room's entrance right in time to see Elizabeth and Meliodas walking up. "Ahh, there you are, Captain."

"ELIZABETH!" Hawk squealed happily, running around her in circles, forcing the blonde next to her to begrudgingly hop out of the way instead of being trampled.

Diane waved her hand at their return jubilantly ( _still_ holding the smiling face of the Sin of Sloth), "We left some ale-out for ya!"

Elizabeth patted Hawk's head happily while Merlin bent over to eye her captain, "We have one of the kidnappers. She is in Gowther's room."

Meliodas tilted his head, " _With_ Gowther?"

The smirk on those pink lips answered before she spoke the words, "Yes indeed."

"Hmm..." The Sin Captain did a perfect about face, and headed across the hall to Gowther's—

—Lair? The furniture had been removed all save one table that had been pushed against the far wall, littered with papers and many odds and ends he'd collected over the years. The decorations (such and mirrors and tapestries) had been discarded to lean neatly in a corner, and even the large rugs that enriched the floor were rolled up to lean against another corner. The few lights Gowther had scattered here and there were simple candles that sat on the floor. Amid all these rearrangements, it would be criminal to neglect to mention the drow elf maiden hanging down her mop of blue hair between arms that hung chained to the wall which completed the unintended theme of... experimental dungeon. Meliodas took three steps into the room and put fists to his hips and let out a low whistle.

"Not even here for thirteen hours and you've managed to make your room dark and dank." The smile caressing the Sin Captain's lips told tale of the mirth that his voice withheld.

Gowther turned from what he was doing at the table, his hands holding a fork that he was wiping down with a tissue. "Welcome back, Captain. I trust the princess is safe?"

Meliodas cheerfully responded, "We had a romantic walk back to the castle."

At the sound of loud thunder, other Sins walked into the room, every last one of them curious as to what the captain might do with the prisoner they detained. Elizabeth and Hawk entered last and her eyes fell immediately to the drow that had been waiting to pounce in her room's wardrobe.

The Dragon Sin slipped his hands in his pockets and walked leisurely to the girl in chains. Gowther took a step closer and said, "Questioning her won't be necessary, Captain, I have learned everything that could possibly benefit the situation already."

Meliodas raised a brow with a half smile as he watched the drow, "Didja hear that?"

Elizabeth took a few steps toward the elf, stopping when Merlin placed a hand on her shoulder as she began to pass her. The fleeting glance she gave the princess warned her to stay put.

The prisoner twitched at the blonde's voice and raised her head slowly as though it were heavy, "You have already taken everything from me, just get it over with."

The Sin Captain used his thumb to point over his shoulder toward Elizabeth, "Got your hostage back too," he replied with a wink.

The girl squinted at him, shaking her head slowly, " _You're_ their captain?"

Meliodas looked away from her and began pacing with a lazy gait in front of her, "What's her name, Gowther?"

"Jericho, Sir."

"What did she have for breakfast?"

Gowther adjusted his glasses, "Ham and eggs with buttered toast, Sir."

"The flowers she picked as a little girl?"

"Blue wild roses, Sir."

Meliodas stopped and eyed Jericho with a smirk, "and her taste in men?"

"She does not care whether someone is male or female, Sir."

The blush that spread only added depth to the surprise she expressed all over her face. Her jaw grew heavy and she stared at the Sin of Lust as though he'd assaulted her.

In a way... he had. In a extremely thorough way too.

Elizabeth whispered to Diane, who had come up on her other side while Meliodas spoke, "Those are nearly the same questions he'd asked the other woman."

Diane rolled her eyes, "Those are dumb things to ask."

Merlin's smile grew, listening to the girls while watching Meliodas work. She could never quite wrap her mind around the way his logic functioned, but it never failed to intrigue her.

Meliodas watched the drow elf's embarrassment flourish for a little while before he said, "Alright, cut her loose."

" _Wha, whaaat?"_ Diane, King and Hawk squealed as one.

Gowther sighed, sad to see such a healthy live specimen go, and walked over and unlocked the chains, letting her fall to the ground.

Jericho's ears were tilted downward when she retreated in herself. Her voice was shaky when she looked up at the Sin Captain, "...Why?"

"Because I would think that your friend needs help. She's up in the mountains pretty banged up."

Elizabeth's ears lifted as she piped in nervously, "Wh, where is my bow?"

"We've got them, my dear." Merlin reassured her with a sly smile.

Their enemy was lifting herself up, her body must have felt stiff by the jerky way she moved. "You're... really just letting me go?"

Meliodas stood before her, and watched her quietly, choosing his words carefully, "I don't like killing, neither do I like watching executions. Should you still be here by the time the king returns, I'm sure he'd be forced to follow the laws of this land."

"So I can just... go?" Her ears lifted by the hint of hope.

Taking his cheerful nod as her answer, Jericho dragged her hurt leg behind her as she passed the Sin of Wrath. Meliodas did not turn to look at her when he said, "We know all your secrets, Jericho. Tread carefully."

Quickening her pace, she was stopped by the tall Fox Sin standing in the doorway. He grinned down at the girl, "Can't say what might happen to you should you come back for round two, Jerrieo..."

Visibly gulping, she squeezed past Ban, who barely moved out of her way. She felt very out of her element not raising a fuss at his mispronunciation of her name. Ban watched her make her way out the large hole in the wall (repairs were still being made to the conference room, and the back up team was working on the Boar Hat, so the hall was feeling a little damp and drafty from the storm) and drop down before he sauntered the rest of the way into the room (lair?). Meliodas had walked over to the table Gowther was at, looking at the notes the knight had taken on Jericho's memories with his hands still in his pockets.

"Yo Capt," Ban bent over the table as well, not really caring, but taking note of what Meliodas was looking at anyway. "What the hell was up with those questions? Funkiest interrogation I've ever had the privilege to watch."

The blonde stood back up straight and smiled up at him, "Well, Gowther already had everything we could possibly need. I just wanted her to know we knew all sorts of stuff about her."

Diane huffed, "Cat's outta the~bag _Captain_!" She stumbled forward pointing an accusing finger at him, "Elizabeth said you asked those same dumb questions to the other one. Jest admit thatya dunno how ta inter, ro, ro, interrogate witnesses!"

Meliodas looked to her and pointed to himself, "Me? I learned lots of stuff!" He started counting them off with his fingers while he looked up at the ceiling, "I learned that Guila is probably a vegetarian, that she didn't grow up in the drow's capitol, not even close, and..." he smiled, glancing at the pinkette who'd just walked to the table next to him stacking up his papers. "I learned that I really ought to find a chance to introduce her to Gowther here!"

Even Merlin gave him a flat look. Ban was the only one besides Meliodas with a smile.

It was Gowther that spoke up, while holding up a jar of... lavender goo up to a candle and looking into it carefully. "As he stated, the captain does not like killing. And if this Guila was loyal enough to face death before capture like this one was, then he needed to be careful as to how he disguised the information he wanted by the questions he asked."

The Sin Captain winked at Gowther, "Know your enemy."

"Heh, must be kinda creepy to have an interrogator ask questions just cuz he can too," Ban grinned.

The pinkette set the jar down and looked to Ban while addressing his captain, "There is still the matter of the dragonsbane Ban has yet to relinquish to me."

The Fox Sin frowned at the snitch, "I'm the one who got chomped for it, Goat, it's mine."

Meliodas chuckled and looked up at Ban, "Would you like me to help you get a boat for your little plan, Ban?"

The Sin of Greed widened his eyes, "You got a boat?"

His smile grew, "Shouldn't be hard."

"Here ya go, Gowther." Ban flicked the pill over to the bespectacled sin without another thought on the matter.

Meliodas nodded contently, then yawned with a stretch. "I believe that just about wraps everything up!" He walked out with a smile.

Diane giggled, a hiccup placed directly after. "A night in the castle! That bed's gonna be _so soft!_ "

Merlin walked out with her, "Let's get more potion in you so we can avoid more damages til morning, Diane." King was blushing as he watched the two leave.

Elizabeth followed them out with Hawk next to her, who quickly looked down the hall to see where Meliodas was headed. He snorted, "Not that room, bub! Yours is across the hall!"

The mischievous Sin had been about to step into Elizabeth's room, but stopped mid-step and turned around on his one grounded foot. "Thanks Hawk! These castle doors all look alike to me."

The princess giggled when Hawk snorted again, "Sure they do."

^.~

Merlin had said that the storm would not let up until morning, thus Elizabeth's room was constantly lit up by flashes of lightning. The storm didn't bother her though, it was simply a part of nature. Well, she was trying to not let it bother her.

Sleep would not come. The night gown provided was a long, comfortable, dress of light blue silk, and the bed she rested on was perfect, but none of it changed the fact that sleep was further from her reach than the horizon. Her mind raced, and she could not find peace no matter what she tried. Despite her nap earlier, she was sore and wanted nothing more than to rest—but her mind simply would not shut down.

She was bothered by being in this room, the room where she was so easily taken.

Sighing heavily, she sat up from the bed. Elizabeth's ears twitched, hearing a flute come from somewhere down stairs. The sound made her heart ache for something familiar, the flute had always been one of her favorite instruments—she could even play a little. Her pan flute would have certainly been something she would have packed, had she known she was running away.

She shook her head and kicked her legs off the bed. Feet that started pacing about the room on their own did not help her will to keep her eyes closed, and staring out the window only served as a reminder of how Guila had swept her away.

Admitting defeat was never an easy thing to do, and harder still when it was against something you could not see, feel, nor cling to. However, no matter what she tried, she just grew more wound up. With weary motions, Elizabeth pulled on the robe that matched her sleeping gown and left the room she felt so wary of. She gasped when the cold of the storm struck her in the hallway. The floor was damp and chilled her feet as though she walked on ice; she quickly padded her way across the hall into the other room, fleeing the unexpected and unwelcome cold.

Lightning silhouetted her petite form in the doorway, exposing her shape through the fabric she wore. As she closed the door behind her, she heard an alerted voice softly ask, "Elizabeth, is everything alright?"

Feeling such unbelievable relief from the concerned voice that greeted her, she hugged her arms tightly as she tried to keep stressful tears at bay, "I'm so sorry, Sir Meliodas. I, I didn't wish to wake you... I just... I just..."

Meliodas lifted his blanket and patted the bed, cutting her off. "There's always room for you here, Elizabeth."

Without even one more word uttered, Elizabeth scurried through the small room to sit on the bed. She found herself somewhat hesitant to lay down though, so as she sat there wringing her fingers together, Meliodas lifted up and made her grateful that the darkness hid her blush.

The Sin Captain was somehow managing to turn something as simple as removing her robe into something sensual. The tickling breaths dancing in her ear followed by the light touch of his fingers trailing down her arms as he removed the largest barrier between her and nudity, add in the way his warm breath followed his fingers to the very edge of her shoulder—and it left her body trembling from a feeling far from the cold she'd felt earlier.

Banishing the robe to the floor, his hands drifted back up to her shoulders and he began to sooth the stress away with gentle massages. His breath frolicked back up her neck and to her ear where he whispered, "You're safe here... Elizabeth."

The princess suddenly felt warm all over and she hummed her contentment to the sound of the flute somewhere on the lower floor. The hands of the man behind her were pure magic. It would seem that they were skilled at much more than groping and fighting. Much sooner than Meliodas had anticipated, the woman who had come to visit him in his room started to droop her head.

He chuckled at this crazy princess that had managed to turn his entire world upside down. Before he saw her up in that tree in Liones, everything seemed to make sense. Slowly, Meliodas guided Elizabeth down to the pillow where she hummed her content, then he leaned over and scooped her legs up onto the bed. The knight sighed at the sight of her in his bed.

She had come on her own...

His skin tingled in a very pleasing way at the thought of it. Elizabeth was lying on her back making tiny snores that sounded similar to the sweet sound a kitten would make while curling up against his master. One of her hands rested on her stomach, cushioned by the supremely thin fabric of her nightie. She was the most beautiful creature he'd seen in over two millenia... and she'd chosen the bed of a demon. He would savor this moment for all time.

Entirely unable to resist, Meliodas lowered himself to hover over her torso and kissed the pale hand there, breathing in the smell of her skin deeply. He moaned his want quietly to himself and lifted back up to lay his head on the most heavenly pair of pillows a man could ever hope for. Sleep no longer appealed to him much, what with his visitor sharing his bed; though with the princess' heart playing him a steady beat while her breath provided the melody, he'd never dream of complaining.

A smile played on his lips as he pulled the blanket over the two of them as he thought:

 _I wonder how she'll react when she realizes I'm naked come morning..._

* * *

 **Heeeeeeey guys! Sorry about how long I've made you wait, it feels like _FOREVER!_ I was totally hung up on how I wanted my zombie Nalu fic's first kiss to play out. Toiled on it for a while so the Malbeth got put on the back burner. T.T **

**BUT, it's done, and now this is done, so all's good! Yea? Yea.**

 **I GOT A KNEW COMMANDMENT! WOOOOOOOOO! I cannot BELIEVE some of y'all are calling me Fanfic Goddess, _holy shit_ y'all must say that to all the girls! **

**I hope you are all aware of the lickings that you deserve, your reviews are my bedtime stories, my I'm bored stories, as will as my domination of procrastination stories.**

 **I'm tired.**

 **I sleep now.**

 **ZzzzZZzzzZZZzzZ**


	12. Changes on the Wind

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE! **

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3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))**

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M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

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 **We reached our 100th review! WOOOOOOO!**

Changes on the Wind

A flute lowered from troubled lips on a second story balcony. The fairy king watched his flute for a moment then turned his gaze to the moon, knowing he wouldn't be able to find things to distract him for much longer. When one lives in a world as long as he had, feeling a change on the wind was a simple matter. He feared they would all be forced into circumstances that could ruin the peace that this kingdom had only just rediscovered with their new king.

As unlikely as it seemed, perhaps the princess was meant to leave her kingdom with a group that could actually have a shot at protecting her. A simple marriage arrangement had not been suspect... but drows coming to get her when she was no longer there to be married off? That spelled trouble. Two different attempts had been made to lure her into their arms and he fretted there would be a third. Drows were warriors, but they were not known for stealing people away like they did today. It went against their own variation of honor.

No. They wanted her. Forces were at work here and the more he thought about what it could all mean, the more he thought of the name, _Tay'daishar..._

^.~

Meliodas woke from a light sleep to the sounds of birds chirping, still feeling incredibly pleased. The little elf underneath him still slept peacefully and that filled him with pride. She really did feel safe around him.

Most people would think her a fool for that.

Though, most people judged demons in the same light they did drows: evil with no hope of salvation. Perhaps the view on drows weren't quite as condemning as demons, but the stereotype was still there. From everything he'd seen from this beautiful creature underneath him though, she didn't hold much merit to what the masses believed.

Just another reason to protect her with his life.

Now to enjoy the life that he still had. Hmm. Where to start? At some point last night, she had turned to her side, and his arm rested around the slimmest part of her perfect hourglass figure. Well... as comfortable as that was, that's not where his hand wanted to be any longer. Meliodas slicked his hand across the silk gown across her tummy and down her hip, taking a generous and leisurely feel of her thigh before finding its home on her rear, cupping it greedily while he stared at the back of her head. Her ear twitched adorably and she moaned in a way that made his other hand feel cold—and lonely.

Then something struck him as odd... his hand started smoothing all around her bottom curiously...

Huh... Elizabeth wasn't wearing any panties.

… …

…

As this—for lack of a better word—revelation was sinking in, Elizabeth sighed and scooted backwards, inevitably into him. At the sensation of only the thin fabric of her nightie blocking his nakedness from hers, and her glorious rear rubbing against his hardening manhood, Meliodas had no choice but to let loose a pleasured groan right into her ear as his hand gripped her hip tightly. He shifted toward her after she stopped in an effort to prolong the motion she'd started, humming his content this time.

When he heard the change in her breaths, he smiled and lifted his head enough to whisper in her ear, "I'm having a hard time comprehending you coming to my room with no panties... Elizabeth."

The princess' eyes popped open, and she felt warmth all around her backside. The voice in her ear was difficult to pinpoint as real or dream, and the odd lump at her rear _must_ be a knot of blankets. As she rolled onto her back with a daintily covered yawn, Meliodas fell back, slipping his lonely arm under her neck as she rolled. Thus as she turned, she now rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at him, not sure of what he'd said just now—or if he'd said anything at all. She smiled softly up at him with a hint of a blush and said, "Good morning Sir Meliodas."

The demon lord shook his head, inwardly aghast at her innocence, "Good morning, Elizabeth." As the arm under her bent to latch onto a breast, the other slithered its way below her belly, the tips of his ring finger and pinky curling down the slope to her depths, "Now, about the whole no panties thing...?"

The quick intake of breath the princess suffered led her to bite her lip, deeply concerned by how much her body was reacting to his touch. It felt sensational—but at the same time, terribly embarrassing. What she didn't know, was that lip biting... was an overwhelming tease for the demon next to her. The hand creeping south lifted up to cup and lift her chin to bring her face closer to his. Elizabeth was pulled slightly above him, following her chin's lead and once he had her face directly above his; he used his thumb to slowly pull her lower lip from her mouth. Staring deeply into her eyes, he shook his head, "Biting your lip is a terrible habit, ya know." It was too bad that he closed his eyes as he leaned forward, for the blush that she grew was one for the ages—but Meliodas was rather preoccupied planting a gentle kiss on the lower lip that the elf had just cruelly misused.

The hand of his that still held her breast made small caressing motions as his lips lingered on the one bottom lip of hers. She closed her eyes at the feel of his ministrations, and whimpered as she suddenly felt an unbelievable longing from deep within her body.

Soon, too soon, the Dragon Sin released her lip and laid his head back on the pillow. He smiled softly and brought both his hands to rest behind his pillow. Never looking away from her he said joyfully, "I suppose we've moved past the rope stage and reached to foreplay then?" His smile grew mischievous, "but you can still tie me up if you like. Any kind of foreplay is fine with me."

Elizabeth found herself wrestling with what her body was trying to tell her. She couldn't just... start rubbing all over him... she just couldn't—no matter how much her body ached for contact—any contact.

It wanted it so _badly_... she'd never felt anything like it! Elizabeth wanted to lean forward, dive into his lips (lips she now knew were surprisingly soft) and rub herself on his lower half until the ache between her legs passed. "Sir... Sir Meliodas..."

He stared back at her heated face with that half smile, "Elizabeth?"

Her sisters had always warned her about that curiosity of hers... "What's... um... what's... foreplay?"

Meliodas' eyebrows lowered, making the innocence of his previous smile completely diffuse, "Foreplay is something lovers do to help stimulate each other."

With a face that was already red, all she could do was stutter, "Lo, lo... lovers...?"

The blonde lifted up to his elbows and spoke sensually against her cheek, "Sounds _great_ when you say that..."

Meliodas' eyes flickered to the door, allowing Elizabeth to breath right before she jumped out of her skin at the pounding on the door and the voice of Ban calling, "Yo, Capt! Don't think I've forgotten about that boat you promised me! Hurry up and get out here."

Elizabeth was looking to the door, but when a hand met with her cheek, she turned back to him. The Sin Captain smiled at her, "I could tell him to wait if you'd like..."

Her eyes widened, "Nnnnnnno... Sir Meliodas... I um... should go anyway."

"Humm. Alright, we'll get up then." He replied thoughtfully before pulling himself out of the blankets—and stood up with his profile showing her the Sin Captain in all his glory.

Once again... _right_ when she was calming down... she turned bright red. Meliodas turned to smile at her one more time before another, louder pounding was heard accompanied with Diane's voice, "I swear, Captain! Get up already!"

The tattoo on his right arm moved above his muscles as he bent over to collect Elizabeth's robe. As he was slipping it on, he walked to the door. Just as he tied the pale blue silk shut, he opened the door while scratching his head.

Diane had her arm raised to bang at the door some more, but stopped dead at the sight of her captain in a woman's robe.

She blinked.

Blinked again...

Her gaze shifted to the elf with the wilted ears who wore the night gown that obviously matched the robe...

Slowly... Diane narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "Tell me _one_ good reason I shouldn't sick the pig on you right now."

Meliodas passed her a fox-faced grin, "Easy! Because I'm gonna be spending all day making a boat for Ban, and if you want King to see his sister again, then you're gonna wanna be on that boat!"

Diane widened her eyes, "What, wait... _Elaine?_ "

The blonde in the woman's robe looked to the ceiling and cupped his hands behind his head and swung a leg to cross over the other, "Oh yea, we never got a chance to tell you yesterday, what with you sicking a crew after my pub and the kidnapping and all." He grinned looking back at her, "you wouldn't want me so busy with roasting a pig on a stick that I still don't get to tell King about his sister."

 _Completely_ outside of Diane's _caring_ nature... she seemed to only grow even more mad—until she visibly deflated. "...Fine." She then pointed an accusing finger at him and warned, "but don't piss me off, you... you... _jerk!_ "

Right before slamming the door behind her, and nearly in her captain's face, she glared at Elizabeth, "You could do soooooooo much better!"

Mid slam, Elizabeth started holding her hands up in a recessive manner and rambled on about how she couldn't possibly, drawing Meliodas' gaze back to her with a contented grin.

She stopped when his gaze fell on her and she stuttered, "Wha, what?"

He smiled and shook his head, "Oh, just happy that _that_ was what you would have argued with her about."

They looked at each other from across the room for a moment longer before Elizabeth lowered her eyes shyly. That freed Meliodas up to go to his pack with a fresh pair of clothes in it.

Elizabeth watched him, her mind running far too fast for her to keep up with:

 _He was naked! He was lying in his bed just as the Goddess' made him! And I... I... I crawled into bed with him!_

Her body ran a shiver, sending goose bumps up her arms. Her fingertips grazed over her bottom lip...

 _Sir Meliodas—kissed me! Naked! He knew he was naked! ...Didn't he? Eeep! Of course he did! Oh he really is a demon... scoundrel..._

The Dragon Sin dropped the robe to the floor, stepped into his boxers and pulled them up and doing it over again with his pants.

 _Wonderful... enchanting man..._

Elizabeth quickly turned away, moving her hands to fidget in her lap when he took another glance at her, buckling his belt. It wasn't her fault she hadn't had anything else to wear... Goddesses but he noticed! Once she'd returned from her late bath last night—all her clothes were gone! She hadn't thought to pack anything from the Boar Hat, she had to face with the fact that she was a horrible traveler.

 _Sigh..._

Meliodas tossed on his shirt and vest, not bothering with the buttons yet, and grabbed his boots before sitting back down on the bed. He passed her a smile and began pulling on and lacing his boots.

"Um..." Elizabeth scooted closer to Meliodas, "so you're... building a boat... today?"

He smiled, still lacing his boots. "Yep, gotta get it done before those berries Ban picked goes bad."

The princess' ears perked up curiously at that, "Why does he need a boat for that?"

Meliodas smiled, setting his feet down and turning to face her fully, "Because he wants the woman he loves to be a part of the wine making, too."

"Too...?" Elizabeth blinked beautiful round eyes at him, toying with the few different ways she could translate a deeper meaning from the words he chose.

^.~

The team headed to the lake together this time, all save Merlin. She had been concerned over Arthur's failure to return and said she would wait for him. Meliodas had checked on the Boar Hat and was more than happy to fill King, Gowther and Diane in after learning that the add-on to the pub should be finished by tomorrow. Merlin had seriously put together some master carpenter teams!

King was floating next Meliodas, hugging the life out of his pillow. "You mean to tell me that it was _Elaine_ who was placed as the new Lady of the Lake?"

Meliodas winced an eye shut at King's loud tone. Ban was walking well ahead of them, anxious to get there as fast as he could, Hawk walked with the immortal, cracking jokes and keeping his spirits high. The rest of the Sins kept an easy pace. Their captain frowned slightly, turning to his comrade, "I'm kinda surprised you didn't know. Isn't that why you had that outburst when we spoke with Arthur?"

Groaning and burying his head in the pillow, his muffled voice was hard to make out, "I only knew that the last Lady of the Lady had fallen victim to Mab... I didn't even know a new lady had been found." He lifted his head and looked straight at Meliodas, "that's why I worried, because without a Lady here, many things may try to claim these waters as theirs."

Diane bent over, putting a hand on King's shoulder, "Isn't this great, King! Your sister's not dead anymore!"

The fairy king set his chin deeply into his pillow, floating along silently.

 _No, not dead..._ He thought, _just stuck guarding something all by herself again..._

King's lack of response brought a frown to the Serpent Sin's lips, and as she opened her mouth, she caught the glare from her captain. At the slight shake of his head, she closed it, and walked on in silence.

As they walked, Meliodas did what he normally did, and passed glances at the princess. The big difference being that today whenever he looked her way, she would blush and quickly turn away. Around the fourth round of this, Elizabeth bounded away, catching up to Ban with a smile on her face.

"My... my sister... she wouldn't let me see her when we visited the land of the dead..." King murmured sadly.

Meliodas slipped his hands in his pockets, watching the silver haired beauty reach Ban, and striking up a conversation with him immediately on a whim. A touch of irrational jealousy went through him when Ban looked down at her and laughed at what she'd said, using a hand gesture to emphasize his response. "That was a long time ago, King. I'm sure that by now she'll be happy to know you've kept Ban company in her stead."

King only whimpered.

^.~

Elaine had left a tiny water dryad to wait at the shore, bearing a message for Elizabeth. The Lady of the Lake was out trying to collect the sword. Ban was laying in the grass basking in the sun, and for lack of anything else to do, Hawk and Elizabeth sat with him. The two of them were speaking softly, not that Ban cared. He was at peace knowing Elaine would make an appearance soon. He'd wait all day, crash here on the shore, and wait tomorrow. Didn't matter.

Everything Meliodas needed to get Ban's boat underway was right there on the shore. Merlin had seen to that. Diane was now in her giantess size and helping him with whatever he may need, and King was off by himself staring at the water. Ban was getting annoyed with all the little glances Elizabeth passed his captain's way. Just what was going on there?

"Geez Elizabeth. How old are you again?"

The princess turned her head back to the Fox Sin, "Wha, what?"

An eyebrow shot up as Ban frowned slightly, disliking having to repeat himself. "How old are you?"

"Oh! I'm, um, four-hundred and three..."

A full grin flowered from Ban's face, "But you're still crushin like a little school girl."

For a brief second, Elizabeth's eyes widened in complete shock, but she managed to recover quickly. "I, I am not!"

Ban closed his eyes and sighed, "Ahh, methinks the lady doth protest too much."

At both Hawk and Elizabeth's silence, Ban peeked an eye open at them. The Princess was looking at her hands down in her lap, and Hawk was watching her just as he was.

Ban stretched out lazily, "In the thirty-so years that I've known him, I've never seen him act like he does around you." He chuckled at the captain's expense, "Sure he enjoyed some eye candy here and there... but he never acted on it. It was always just the safety and well-being of the crew."

He noticed Elizabeth glance back over to the captain, who was nailing warped wood together with his shirt off (naturally). So he continued, "And then this pretty little elf falls right out of the sky and he turns into this handsie fool. I've never seen anything like it."

Elizabeth turned back to Ban, tilting her head. "So Sir Meliodas isn't himself...?"

Ban's snicker left Hawk to answer, "It's not that, really... he just can't keep his hands offa you. Just a big pig allaofa sudden!"

With his snicker fading, Ban pulled a long twig of grass from the ground and chewed it, looking up at the sky. "While the master's not wrong... he's not really all that right either. I think it's just how Capt plays. In all his long years, if he wants something—he just takes it. But, heh, things are different with you."

His eyes searched out the frowning elf again and grinned, "I'm not sure if he's ever wanted a real live girl before! Ha! Dude's clueless! Guess he's finally turning into a real boy!"

Hawk snorted and Elizabeth turned back to watch Meliodas. He was smiling at Diane while she held a board in place so he could nail it down. They were making impressive progress on the boat, it was bigger than Elizabeth thought it'd be. She quickly released the bottom lip she was sucking when she realized she was remembering how soft his lips were...

Sitting up was a pain, but Ban endured. "You could try putting on the charm a little bit there, Princess..."

Elizabeth looked back to him with widened eyes and the sound of Hawk's scoff, "She wouldn't try anything of the sort!"

Ban rolled his eyes and laid back down, "Whatever."

^.~

Appearing from thin air in a run down shed of a house, long heeled boots crackled dead leaves as she stepped forward. Merlin looked around the place unfavorably and rested a hand on her hips. Her frown was prominent as she sighed out, "You can show yourself, Mab. I know that you're here."

In the blink of an eye, she was no longer alone. A woman dressed in a midnight purple gown with hair the color of a moonless night stood before her. This woman radiated power from every part of her. Blue lips smiled at her from a pasty white, ageless face, "So nice to see you again, child! I'm getting so many visitors lately..."

Merlin shook her head, no amusement whatsoever playing on her features at the woman's whisper of a voice. "Am I to understand that you sheltered Arthur last night?"

Mab's smile cracked larger, "Indeed I did. Such a handsome young man..."

"But he didn't have what you wanted... now did he?" Merlin finally grew just a hint of a smile while she folded her arms.

"Ahh, but now that we are acquaintances, he'll be more prepared to let me see it next time. Such a good boy you've raised, Merlin."

"There will not be a next time, Mab. You know where you are bound. You will stay here until not even the dust that covers you knows who you are."

The woman hissed, the expression tainting the beauty she possessed. "You know _nothing,_ little mage. Have you forgotten that only with my help you gained the power to be called the Sin of Gluttony?"

Merlin rolled her eyes, "And all the foul things that came with it." She took a step closer to the being in front of her, "you may have helped me commit my sin, but we have both paid for it in full. You will stay clear of Arthur."

Mab smiled, lifting her arms. "You just wait, _dear Merlin._ I will reclaim Excalibur, and then you will call me Queen again."

It felt rustic to use the door, but Merlin wanted her old teacher to watch her leave. "Your threats are nothing but that. Arthur will not return here a second time."

* * *

 **There you have it. Until next time!**

 **BettyBest** **: She admitted it in a dream that faded into subconsciousness, but I think she's beginning to know her feelings. :) As always, ty!  
** **ObsidianPhantom** **: You make an interesting point. Hehehe, and... I no evil! Just filled with lick filled fun I am!  
** **Dom** **: You deserved it. :) AAAAAAND I'm QUITE sure you deserved the teasing too! I luv you!  
** **Deamonik** **: In due time. Merlin still hasn't gotten the chance to introduce him to Mel. She hasn't forgotten! ;D More coming soon!  
** **TailGatomon** **: *evil cackles* Maybe not quite as much action as people had hoped for, but Meliodas certainly got Elizabeth... thinking. THANX FOR DA COMMANDMENT! U AWESOME!  
** **Stormie** **: I luv you, the chappy is small...ish. Wouldn't want you too distracted for the smut filled goodness you're about to put out there! *nudge nudge, wink wink*  
** **My Luv** **: Lots a stuff! Damn right! Yeeeees! More drunk Sins next time! Can't have wine making without BOOZE!  
** **PippElulu** **: XD XD XD XD There's... there's just no words. ROFL  
** **Calantha** **: Meliodas is bewildering. Hehe  
** **TelTel** **: I luv da PMs. :D  
** **ScarletArrow** **: No... I'm writing it and I dun even think that I wanna know! XD** _ **Thanx for da lick!**_

 _ **Just for you  
my lovelies,**_

 _ **Seriphia aka Lick**_


	13. Sunset

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **OMG guys! BettyBest2 made fanart! FANART!  
It's of a certain scene from chappie 12, eh heh heh...  
CHECK IT OUT! SOO COOL! TY Betty! You da best!**

 **bettybest2.  
deviantart  
.com  
/art/Lovers-585847408**

Sunset

Merlin nodded to Arthur from atop the gate as he rode in. He looked as carefree as always as a squire rushed to him bidding him greetings and messages from councilmen. Her lips curled into an amused smirk when she noticed the king glance toward the Boar Hat stationed close by the city walls. It could be fairly certain that is was a princess he had hoped to catch a glimpse of. Poor thing had to settle with the well toned builders finishing up renovations instead. Honestly, what was Meliodas thinking bringing such a girl as she here? Elves were highly prized beauties out here in the world of humans, that girl has turned many heads since arriving here. After all, the Boar Hat's booze wasn't _that_ good...

A particular deep voice caught her attention and she turned to see Nimue riding towards Arthur. Isn't that nice? The handsome horse master had worried over his king. The two greeted each other atop their stallions by grasping shoulders as a few words passed between them. With eyes that lingered on the horse master, Merlin begrudgingly admitted that she had work to do. She vanished from the city gates and reappeared at the castle's entrance. If she didn't warn him of the danger he'd put himself in last night—no one would.

Funny how these things work out. Circumstances would have proved far more dire had Kay not cast Excalibur into the depths of Avalon. How puzzling would it be for Arthur's brother if she were to send him a sweet little thank you card?

^.~

Ban inspected the boat with a critical eye as his captain finished nailing the shingles on the cabin. He hadn't expected him to make the thing so nice. Its deck was a good twenty paces long and he'd even built a cabin on it that would let them below deck. Pretty damn great considering it would be nothing more than a lake boat. A Meliodas-original. Not too shabby.

Inspection ended when he decided to see how comfy the hammocks were in the room below the cabin. Now if only the captain would stop all that irritating hammering.

Elizabeth had stayed on the deck when Ban left to go inside. It... looked so stuffy in there. She was peeking in the dark doorway when she heard the Dragon Sin's voice from above her chuckle out, "It's sturdy, Elizabeth. We built it to Gowther's standards. He knows a thing or two about architecture."

Looking up at the voice revealed Meliodas watching her from the roof, wiping his hands with a small towel. Her cheeks stained red almost instantaneously upon meeting the shirtless man's gaze. His muscle tone truly was magnificent... She stammered, "Oh, um... it's not that, Sir, Sir Meliodas," in her haste to say something instead of just standing there like an idiot.

The knight blinked at her curiously and then jumped down and wrapped an arm around her waist while the other took a greedy hold on her breast as he smiled up at her slyly, "So you were waiting for the full-fledged tour then?"

"Oh! Umm... I," her voice caved in when he suddenly pulled her much closer and brought them both to the side.

Just half a second later, Hawk came barreling out of the cabin yelling, "Damnit Meliodas!" He'd missed his mark so the piggy turned around to try again, but a round-eyed innocent Meliodas lifted the princess up bridal style (with a gentle squeeze of the breast his calloused hand still held) and jumped out of the way again. When Hawk turned to ram into him again, Meliodas set Elizabeth down with a wink and pointed his hammer at the pig with a grin, "Is it time for your tenderizing?"

Hawk wasn't falling for it—his greatest fear of being eaten not withstanding—he let his panicked run place him _between_ the blonde and princess before leaning his front two hooves on Elizabeth's ribs crying, "You'd never let him come at me with that hammer would you Elizabeth! He's always so mean to meeeee!"

Elizabeth giggled at the adorable pig and patted his head sweetly, "Oh Sir Hawk, Sir Meliodas would never actually hurt you! Just remember what Sir Ban said: you're the master here!"

She could hear Meliodas cough something indiscernible as Hawk tried to wag his little tail, "You're right! _You're right!_ " He jumped back onto all fours and turned to the innocent eyes of his partner, if he could have spit his tongue out at him, he would have. "Well _this_ little piggy has his eyes on you, pervert!"

Meliodas grinned brightly at him, slipping his hands in his pockets, "Thanks for looking out for us, buddy."

Hawk stared at him for a moment... when Meliodas just stared back at him with that boyish smile, the pig snorted and stomped back into the cabin. His voice could be heard complaining about the lack of scraps on board. Elizabeth giggled, of course there wouldn't be, the vessel was literally just built!

The smile of the knight before her transformed from innocent to pleased at the sound of her laughter, then upgraded to mildly surprised and shifted his gaze over out toward the horizon. Elizabeth followed his eyes to a slender girl with hair like spun gold rise from the water and drift hesitantly toward King, who shied away from her advance.

"That's..."

"Shh," Meliodas put his index finger up to her lips. "We shouldn't interrupt. The Lady of the Lake can hear anything out here."

"...Oh."

The princess breathed in sharply when she felt the Sin Captain take her hand. She turned back to him as he smiled and motioned to the boat's cabin. "Come on. Now that Elaine's here, it won't be long. I'll show you around before Diane gets back."

^.~

The sun glowed its final rays down on two fairies hovering over sacred waters lazily. Their blood was the same, but the pair of golden eyes gazing into the other spoke of distrust; it suited the other set of eyes, which lowered, overflowing with regret.

With his eyes watching the water below, King hesitantly uttered, "..Sister..."

Elaine frowned. She didn't appreciate his unwillingness to meet her gaze. The Lady of the Lake did not understand that it was out of humility and regret, that is was out of remorse of his failure to come visit her sooner. He was the Sin of Sloth, and no matter how many times he would try to right his wrongs... they just always seemed to come up short. No. Elaine thought he wished not to see her, for it returned him to painful memories of the past.

She drifted below him so that the hem of her blindingly white robe touched her water's surface, positioning herself so that he would either look at her, or be forced to avert his eyes a second time. At first, her expression was painted with frustration. It did not last long however, for Elaine had compassion etched deeply into her heart and when she saw her brother's face masked in torment; her aggravation glossed over—for the moment.

"Harlequin?" She tilted her head as she asked out his name. Her voice only echoing through the lifewater flowing through his veins. It was chilling to hear her voice coming from every inch of his being.

Nature wept with the fairy king as his tears fell, making ripples on Avalon's calm surface as he looked down at his sister. So many years, weeks, days, hours, gone by with him knowing her doom had been his fault. Yet as the selfish king that he was, he'd shirked his responsibilities and left his sister as the sole protector of the sacred fountain. His tears were not enough, nothing would ever be enough, "Elaine... I'm so sorry!"

The girl below him floated back up to his level, turning her gaze to the boat on the shore, "Without your regret, I would have never met him."

King's eyes widened and glanced the direction she looked, "I've been questioning a few circumstances that seemed like mere chance lately as well."

Her face snapped back to him as an adder would strike its prey, "Do not think you can win my favor by telling me fate moves in mysterious ways." Elaine jabbed a tiny delicate finger at him, and King stared worriedly down at it as though it was the most fearsome weapon a creature could possibly wield. "You could have stayed—but you didn't. You could have come back, but you never did!" Her eyes began to grow her own tears, as her louder voice made the blood in his veins rumble. "It was Ban! The last seven days were the best of my entire life, and you were not there to share them with me!"

King's heart broke anew. His expression had been remorseful already, but now it melted down to nothing short of tragedy. How could he make this right? A big part of him simply wanted to leave and never return, to dodge around his guilt as he had done so many times in the past.

But his was a knight now.

The Grizzly Sin of Sloth of the Seven Deadly Sins. He had brought this band together in an effort to gain atonement. Even if atonement was impossible, that small glimmer inside him spoke of knighthood.

Knights do not run from their sins.

They face them head on. Here was a chance unlike any other. His sister had been dead... yet here she was, right in front of him as the Lady of the Lake. Even if forgiveness could never be his, he would be forever grateful that he would have this one last time to tell her what he'd wished he could have so many times over.

A soft smile graced his lips and he bent over just a little while slipping his hands in his pockets. His eyes portrayed a pure, untainted love as he looked deeply into the golden eyes he'd admired quietly when they played together as children. "Elaine. No words will ever make up for what I have done, nor should something as small as an apology ever grant me forgiveness... but still... I must tell you again, and for always, how sorry I am."

Such a soul as Elaine's couldn't keep hold of such hard features when her brother's down-trodden face looked identical to the one he would have as a boy when he was scolded for ignoring his lessons in favor of playing with the other fairy children. No, Harlequin was to be king someday, he had been forced to train his body and mind for the task instead of enjoying his childhood. Perhaps that was part of why he left... of why he committed his sin in the first place. The lady's expression softened, and she sighed. The echoes inside him that was her voice felt more soothing than disturbing as she replied, "You know the rules I must follow now, yes?"

King stared, baffled for a moment as to why that would be her response. He flinched when she began to appear impatient and nodded, "Ye, yes... I think I do..."

With a slight shake of her head at her hopeless big brother, her eyes lowered to gaze over the lake that was her domain, "The waters here are of the same essence as the Fountain. Cut from the same cloth... if you will. They flow strong and true, defending against anyone who would pillage the lost city long dead. As the keeper of the lake, I must be as well." Her loop around the lake brought her eyes back to her brother, "so I will speak truthfully." She paused, looking into his desperate brown eyes, choosing her words carefully. "I understand your struggles, and I believe your regret is genuine..." Elaine reached to him and took his hands in hers and squeezed them while shaking her head, "but I also cannot find it in me to forgive you..." The humility of the Lady was staggering. She had the graces to look ashamed about it, "but, I am willing to put the matter aside for now... and maybe, just be... your little sister... again?" Her last word was spoken as a question, though King would wonder why she would dare think she need ask him for such a thing.

"Of, of, of c, course, Elaine!" His joviality spread to her like wildfire, and for that brief moment, they danced their joy of being reunited above the waters of Avalon much like they had as children in their mother's garden.

The Grizzly's Sin's captain's smile curled more distinctly when he heard the laughter from inside the boat's cabin. Meliodas stood next to Ban sleeping in a hammock while Elizabeth and Hawk explored the area. Fortunately, leading them to the small room with four hanging hammocks had been the last of his tour—so he booted Ban right out of his contented cat nap (fox nap) and onto the floor.

"Ugh..."

"Didja get enough beauty sleep, Ban?"

The Fox Sin rolled over and sat up in a slouch, rubbing his head, "Geez Capt, can't a guy enjoy his first evening with his new boat?"

Meliodas winked at him, "You can play the lazy swashbuckler later. Right now, I'm pretty sure there's a lovely lady waiting to see you."

That woke him up. Ban's eyes widened and he cursed, rising up and rushing to get on deck. Cursing some more when the tall man bumped onto the ceiling from the low stairway in his haste to get there. Meliodas grinned to himself.

 _I guess I could have made that roof a little higher, since pirate captain Ban is so tall._ He shrugged, _Oh well._

Ban ducked out of the cabin and bounded to the rail of the ship, right on time to see Diane drop the giant tub he'd procured on deck. She glared at the leather-clad Fox Sin for a moment as he stared out at the water before she sighed and picked Gowther to order around instead. "Gowther! Fill that tub with the berries while I load these barrels in, come on, hurry up! The Lady of the Lake isn't gonna be here all night."

"Heh heh," Ban smirked, never looking away from where King was now smiling with his sister, "that's what you think!"

When Meliodas walked on deck with Elizabeth and Hawk following, Ban called out to the fairies, "Yo Elaine! You gonna hang out with that loser all night? I'm feelin kinda lonely over here."

The blonde fairy turned her head towards the voice, and smiled brightly at the mischievous grin on the Fox Sin's face.

Causing a grunt or yelp from everyone on board, the ship lifted into the air, and was suddenly tossed into the water. Ban was the only on who kept his footing as he chuckled at his captain jumping back on the deck. "Show off."

Meliodas smiled back, dusting off his hands, "Seemed like the fastest way to get her adrift to me."

Elizabeth gathered her thoughts as she checked on Hawk and whispered, "Did Sir Meliodas just lift up this entire ship...?"

"Ugh," Hawk groaned, "and he shook our bacon throwing this thing in the water too. I don't feel so good..."

King floated a freshly shrunken giantess on his pillow who was not so amused, "You could have at least let me get on board first, Captain!"

Meliodas ignored the complaints and turned to the princess, offering her a gentlemanly hand up, "Are you ready to make some wine, Elizabeth?"

Ban was leaning heavily over the ship's railing as Elaine hovered before him, "Tonight you're gonna help me make some of that wine we used to share."

The Lady of the Lake blushed, "How do we do that?"

Ban held out his hand to her, "It's not that different from a dance... I'll teach you."

With the sun below the horizon, Elizabeth witnessed how happy everyone seemed to be. They all reminded her of the carefree way the fairies played when they would visit her father's kingdom. Laughter filled the air outside of Avalon tonight, and the Lady to whom was one with the waters smiled brightest. Elizabeth giggled every time Ban reached for Elaine and the girl would drift just out of his reach with a knowing smile.

Yes, the lake would witness a lust for life this night.

* * *

 **So I have this _thing_ that makes me always want chapter thirteen to be something fantastic and super funny—but it didn't work out so much this time. The conversation between King and Elaine was just too important to gloss over. Sooo, the wine making will be next chapter. Chappie 13 part 2, if you will. :p **

**Thirteen is my lucky number, so these licks are SUUUPER SPECIAL guys! :D**

 **Calantha** **: Happy! Who doesn't look forward to a steamy, loving, HAPPY time! :D  
** **TelTel** **: Wow, your amazing reviews never cease to amaze me! You certainly take the time to appreciate every word that's typed, and I bow my head to that. Thank you!  
** **BettyBest** **: He is pretty roundabout isn't he? That lil devil! Tay-what now? I have no idea what that Tay-thingie mabob is... King is just spouting nonsense, nonsense! A COMMANDMENT! TYTYTYTYTY!  
** **Pippi!** **Ehehehehe! Fan girl away my darling, tis what Meli's actions are MADE for! XD  
** **Dom** **: Oh come now, my dear Dom, your hubby already knew you were mad. Dunna go blaming me for it! ;D Though if you end up needing a scape goat... I can pretend I know Kung Fu! See? CrAzY!  
** **Stormie** **: Take it! Diane needs to sick that pig on him sometimes! And nah, those Sins would turn in to complete hopeless alcoholics if danger wasn't looming in on all different sides! Haha!  
My Luv** **: See? Ban's GREAT yea? He's just the best friend any guy could hope to have. My Ban nuzzles me all the time and a swoon all happy like. And as for my plans? I'll never tell!  
** **Scarlet Arrow** **: Actually, I have never read the manga. Me and a few other authors share a chat and that's where I get manga info IF I need it, but MY Mab, is actually taken from one of the best mini series I've ever watched called Merlin. Since not much is known about the SDS Merlin, I'm taking her in the direction I want since I get to enjoy this alternate reality fic.  
** **Guest** **: Ah, it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Thank you!  
** **yojimbo** **: AAAAAAAAH! ANOTHER COMMANDMENT! YAAAAS!**

 **Just for you my lovelies  
Lick a friend and gauge their response between  
1(meh) to 10 (OMG u just fuckin _licked_ me)**

 **Seriphia aka Lick!**


	14. A Storm is Coming

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess  
8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie, edited ever so slightly by yours truly))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **OMG guys! BettyBest2 made fanart! FANART!  
It's of a certain scene from chappie 12, eh heh heh...  
CHECK IT OUT! SOO COOL! TY Betty! You da best!  
bettybest2.  
deviantart  
.com  
/art/Lovers-585847408**

* * *

A Storm is Coming

Guila rushed to Jericho's side as she all but crawled out of the immense double doors that she barely had the strength to open. The door fell back shut behind her with hardly enough time for her to get through, the sound of the slam reverberating through the torch-lit hall like the ring of a death toll. The blunette's ears were completely wilted and her cheeks moist and dirty from the tears she'd shed. Guila knew all too well what had just happened to her partner, for she had suffered the same just a mere hour ago.

Prince Hendrickson had seen to their punishment personally.

Guila supported her as they walked back down the empty hall. It was painfully evident that Jericho had not handled the prince's wrath as well as she had; then again, she did not have a younger brother that she had to pick herself up for and carry on, as Guila did. Jericho was beaten down and reduced to nothing more than whimpers and sniffs. Guila had waited out her aches and pains so that she could help her partner to the hot springs below the castle. It would help ease their pain and mend their bones. Many a powerful warrior have tried to take the castle from Hendrickson because of those springs.

Jericho whimpered out, "Th, thank you..."

"Shh, save your strength."

^.~

Elaine was ecstatic when she learned she could stand on the boat. She'd half expected that she'd just sink through the wood back to the waters of Avalon. The feel of solid ground under her feet was a long missed memory that she had no idea she'd missed so badly until she'd alighted on the deck. She stared at her feet while Ban leaned against the railing, staring at her fondly... more than fondly.

When Elaine jumped experimentally, once, twice, Ban couldn't keep his hands to himself any longer. He stood up with a slight slouch and grinned to himself as he reached for her—and pulled his hand back as fast as he possibly could when Merlin appeared right between them, pulling Elaine's eyes up from her feet. Merlin gave Ban's frown an amused smirk before she swept her eyes over the scene on deck. Meliodas and Gowther were dumping berries into the large round wooden tub positioned toward the bow of the ship. Elizabeth was looking into the tub curiously while King stood near Diane against the port side railing keeping a close eye on his sister with awkwardness spelled all over his face. Diane was groaning about how Ban may not have prepared enough berries.

Merlin's smile was full of mischief as she lifted an arm slowly, "Let's get this little party underway shall we?" She snapped her fingers, and suddenly Elaine, Diane and Elizabeth's clothes were traded out for identical thin white dresses. All three women gasped, looking down at the short dresses just shy of being a slip while the men froze in what they were doing—except for Gowther, who continued loading berries unperturbed. Merlin then pointed further down the deck and materialized enough chairs for the men and herself. "Have a seat boys. For wine to be made properly, it is to be done by the feet of beautiful maidens."

Elizabeth was trying to pull her dress down with a bright blush fresh on her cheeks, "You want us to g, get in there?"

"Wearing _this?_ " Diane frowned.

"Absolutely," Merlin smiled, planting a hand on her hip.

Meliodas smiled boyishly, slipping his tempted hands in his pockets. "Sounds great to me!" He walked to the nearest chair and sat down happily.

Elaine was blushing too, looking down at her legs like she'd never seen them before. Ban was licking his lips and beginning to step toward her when Merlin lifted her hand right into his face to keep him back. "No touching the maidens..." She eyed the Fox Sin with a playful aura, "for... sanitation reasons of course."

King was staring at Diane with a nose bleed pending when she bounced excitedly, "Let's make some wine!" She took both Elaine and Elizabeth's hands and pulled them into the tub with her and immediately started jumping up and down over the berries, still holding their hands.

Elaine giggled at Diane's energy, and looked to Elizabeth, who was still hesitant. The princess turned back around to where the men and Merlin were getting drinks and said, "M, Merlin? Shouldn't you be here too...?"

The mage laughed loudly, "Oh no, you dear, sweet, _precious_ girl! I am no maiden."

Ban started laughing and Meliodas held up his mug, watching Elizabeth with a sly smile, "To the maidens!"

"Aye!" Ban responded, lifting his mug as well.

It took a bit of goading for Diane to get the other two into the spirit, but in due time, the girls were holding hands and jumping about. King found his seat... eventually, and Merlin offered him a mug with a bemused smile. Hawk was walking around with a barrel attached to his back, grumbling about having to be the server for the night. Soon, Meliodas found himself on the edge of his seat after Elizabeth slipped, pulling the other girls with her in a delightful symphony of squeamish giggling. He felt intense pleasure in learning that the elf's body was more perfect than statue depictions of the Goddesses themselves. When they rose, their thin dresses clung to them like a second skin, colored slightly purple; it was becoming entirely too hard for the Sin Captain to stay put... away from the tub and his stolen princess. The girls laughed together and just continued on their merry way, while King's jaw dropped and Ban leaned forward with quite the wolfish grin.

Gowther was plucking more berries and dumping them in the tub while the girls played, laughing and giggling. Meliodas started wishing Elizabeth would look his way, so he grabbed a bushel of berries by the Goat Sin's chair and started tossing them at her as he plucked. Mission accomplished! When the first berry hit her in the back of her head. She turned to look right at him and he grinned his guilt at her. Elizabeth raised a brow, "S, Sir Meliodas!"

Diane frowned, "Hey! We're over here makin your wine, don't throw things!"

"She's, she's right Captain," King sweated, "let them finish..."

Ban cackled when Meliodas just smiled and threw another berry right down Elizabeth's cleavage, causing her a fresh flush. Elaine stumbled up to her and floated up enough to whisper something in the elf's long ear that made her smile. That smile spelled trouble... Meliodas grinned.

"Hey!" Ban chunked a berry at Elaine's hair, "no conspiring!"

Diane leaned in hear the whispers, spitting her tongue out at them. King started pulling at his clothes, attempting to fan himself—it was hot out tonight.

Meliodas tossed a few more berries at Elizabeth and the girls quickly put their plan into action. They nodded to each other and ducked down into the tub. It was quiet for a moment, and Meliodas and Ban looked at each other curiously while King started floating up to see what they were doing. Merlin casually walked into the cabin...

"ATTAAACK!" Cried Diane as all three of the girls stood up straight started pelting the not so sober men with as many berries as they could hold. Diane, of course, was throwing her ammunition at King higher in the air, but the other two girls were shooting mercilessly towards the others. Hawk squealed and ran into the cabin after Merlin, screaming about how the girls had gone crazy—practically hyperventilating.

All the men reacted differently: Ban's surprise changed into an excited grin and fell backwards from his chair, flipping it upside-down to use it as cover. King cringed and began apologizing adamantly even though he had done nothing, while Gowther just sat there. "This is a distasteful waste of the berries we've prepped," and pulled his glasses off so he could clean them when a berry splatted right on his lens.

Meliodas grinned at the girls' spunk and tried catching as many berries as possible, be it his left hand, right hand, or mouth. Not a single berry hit him and Elizabeth puffed out her cheeks in frustration. Fortunately, Diane also noticed the lack of purple on her captain, so she whispered something to Elaine before splashing a fresh amount of berry juice on Elizabeth's chest.

The princess yelped and looked down at her wet breasts in surprise, was that a splotch of purple... or could they see her nipples right through the fabric? Diane groaned, "Elizabeth!" She pointed to Meliodas in a complete stupor, staring like he'd seen the Holy Grail, " _GET HIM!"_

"Oh!" The elven princess started pelting him with berries, every last one exploding with berry goodness upon impact. Meliodas did not defend himself, he was watching heavenly elf meat jiggle with every toss.

As for Ban, "This is a sinful waste of what could be good wine, ladies." With the grin of a predator, he ducked out of his shelter with a handful of berries—but froze when he didn't see Elaine anywhere. "Uhh..."

Elaine was sneaking up behind him, and started squeezing a handful of berries that seeped from her hands to pour over the top of his white spikes. He grinned to himself and brought a hand around him so quickly that the Lady of the Lake never had a chance to dodge away. The Fox Sin wrapped his hands around her bare ankle and swung her in the air to thud right into his chest. Finally the lady was in his arms again. "There you are. I was wondering if you'd left me." The undead knight purred as he leaned into his fairy princess, but she had other plans. As Ban leaned in to kiss those sweet lips again, Elaine giggled (and blushed of course) and splattered his face with the remaining pulp she held in her hands.

"Ugh..." Ban looked at the giggling woman in his arms with a purple face and an amused brow uplifted towards his purple tinted hair. "Ya know... I'm not sure sure that hangin out with those two is all that great of an idea, Elaine." He slicked his index finger down his cheek, then dragged its purple sweetness down the bridge of her nose. "I'm s'posed to be the trouble maker here." He leaned in to kiss her again while his hands gripped her tightly. Though Elaine smiled cunningly at him and transformed into nothing more than a splash of water that quickly fell down to the deck. Ban groaned hungrily, it would seem his slippery fairy love has only gotten more slippery with time...

The splash served Meliodas well though, for it brought him back from the land of purple tinted plushy mounds. He jumped at the wetness falling at his feet, then glared at the elf laughing with merriment with a smirk of his own. So, as Diane was climbing out of the tub and grabbing at the timid fairy king's foot, the Sin Captain phased right in front of his princess, scooped her in his arms, and retreated to the roof of the cabin with the chuckling princess safe in his arms. Or at least, that's the illusion he was encouraging.

With the sound of Diane cackling at capturing King, and Ban threatening to dive into the waters to catch his prey, Meliodas looked deeply into the blue elven eye that was not covered in sticky purple hair and spoke lowly over her laughing, "What did I tell you about poking the bear, Elizabeth?"

The princess kicked up her legs happily and threw her head back, laughing happily and replied, "Oh Sir Meliodas, you are much less intimidating when covered in juice!"

Her laughter was so musical, it could sooth his heart forever and always. He smiled down at her and brushed a few tangled strands from her face as he chuckled, "It's a good thing we have a shower at the Boar Hat now. It looks like you may need help washing out all that juice." His eyes shaded over for a moment, "though purple becomes you well."

^.~

As night traveled into early morning, the knights and ladies drifted off to sleep in the comfort of their partner's arms. The day had been long and the late night had taken its toll. Merlin napped on a hammock and Gowther kept a close eye on Avalon's waters... even took a few samples as the night progressed. Once Ban recaptured his sweet blonde, he quickly dived with her onto the deck with a nibble to her neck and ordered her to lay with him—quickly passing out with a firm grip on his elusive love. Diane yawned as soon as the skittish King brought his Chastifol pillow under them as protection from the gooey~ness of the deck and she leaned her head against him and drifted into a peaceful sleep, cooing her content.

Meliodas smiled when Elizabeth let out a long yawn as he trailed his fingers down her arms, "You're not tired already, are you, Elizabeth?"

With only one eye open, the princess smiled fondly at him and laid her head against his chest, "As a matter of fact, Sir Meliodas, I am. So..." she yawned again, the excitement of the evening giving her a sense of courage when speaking to the man who always seemed to make her heart do somersaults. "So I expect you to be a good little pillow and hold still so I can rest."

She was willing to sleep against him under the stars... Meliodas' heart swelled and stroked her cheek affectionately, "As you wish..."

^.~

Morning came far too soon for the band of knights and ladies who'd fallen asleep in the late hours of moonlight. Hawk was cleaning up the deck and Merlin had whisked the tub of trampled berries away to ferment. The girls were not feeling so playful come sunrise, much to the men's dismay—and with a snap of Merlin's fingers, the girls clothes were returned to them with not a trace of the sticky mess they fell asleep in.

Berry free... much to Meliodas' dismay. His dream had been filled with the pleasantries of washing a certain elf princess' hair...

Questions were asked about Excalibur, and Elaine told them that it was not yet secure, and Ban announced that he would stay with the boat to help her retrieve it in anyway that he could with a sly grin. Meliodas nodded and clasped hands with the Fox Sin, bidding him farewell before Merlin teleported the rest of them right outside Camelot's castle gates.

She turned to her fellow Sins and princess and nodded, "Let's go meet Arthur for breakfast shall we?"

Diane smiled, "Sounds great! I'm starving!" As they walked up a flight of stares, Elizabeth could feel a pair of demonic eyes bearing down on her. She looked over her shoulder and he smiled innocently at her. She smiled back with a hint of color on her cheeks and quickly turned back around.

The party halted once they turned the corner to the hallway leading to the conference room. There, right before the entrance stood a group of councilmen and Arthur. They had been talking lowly, and stopped when they noticed the Sins' approach. Elizabeth had never seen Arthur's face so somber before. Hawk looked to the group ahead of them, then to his comrades who stopped behind him as Meliodas cast one of his rare frowns, taking Elizabeth's hand in his.

With pain filling the color of the king's eyes, he stepped to the side to let someone Elizabeth knew very well come into view.

The princess gripped Meliodas' hand tightly at the sight of one of her father's best knights. "Sir Gilthunder! Wha, what are you doing here...?"

The elf warrior walked toward his princess with an expressionless face and steady gait. Once conquering the gap between them, he knelt on one knee in front of her and lowered his head submissively with closed eyes. His voice was hoarse but strong as he began to deliver his message, "Princess Elizabeth, third lady of Liones, I have come to bring you home."

Meliodas shook his head so slightly, only Merlin noticed as he returned Elizabeth's hand-squeeze. The princess fumbled out her words, "I, I cannot... not yet... has father—"

"Apologizes, my princess," Gilthunder interrupted... Gilthunder never interrupted... "but my orders are from our queen."

Elizabeth's voice wavered even more, and she spoke through her free hand that covered her mouth, "Qu, qu, queen...?"

Sir Gilthunder lowered his head more, and his pointed ears pulled down toward the floor, his voice heavy with grief. "Yes my lady... the queen has sent me personally to inform you..." his words hitched in his throat painfully. He cleared his throat so his tone would not sound burdened by the weight of reliving the tragedy all over again when he spoke. Steeling his nerves, the knight of the woodland elves looked up at his princess and said with a clear, steady voice, "...that King Baltra, your beloved father, keeper of the seals, has been assassinated."


	15. There's No Place Like Home

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

There's No Place Like Home

 _This isn't real._

She could tell that the Sins around her were overwhelming Sir Gilthunder with questions, but she could hear none of it. Everything sounded muffled and her vision blurred over in a dark haze. She felt herself sinking below the darkness, reliving a dream she never would have recalled on a normal day. She saw her father standing in a beam of light surrounded by darkness, garbed in robes the shade of blood.

 _Father is..._

Her memory repeated the voice in her dream, that terrible voice that echoed throughout her skull... You seal their doom, should you not come home.

 _This isn't real. Any moment now I am going to wake up and find myself still on the roof of Sir Ban's vessel in Sir Meliodas' arms._

Her arms felt weighted down by the chains that bound her. Sinking... drowning in darkness.

There was one who remained silent, right there next to her. When his band descended on the elven knight, Meliodas stayed next to Elizabeth, holding her trembling hand as she stared at nothing.

"I happen to know King Baltra could never be safer than right there in his own kingdom," King yelled uncharacteristically, this man was saying his long time friend was dead? Killed even? Impossible. Baltra may have appeared old and somewhat fragile, but he was a strong warrior in his own right.

Diane was staring Gilthunder down, "Is this some sort of sick joke?"

Merlin sized up Gilthunder and looked as though she disapproved, "I have never even heard of anyone threatening Liones' king in centuries."

"Fascinating how you all react with such emotion, perhaps I should try." Gowther tilted his head and held up two fingers, proposing peace.

Every time Gilthunder tried to respond, another Sin would interrupt him with another question. Arthur was looking around at the Sins as if they'd gone mad, and Meliodas lifted his gaze to view the frozen elf princess.

Throughout the constant barrage of banter between Sins and the elven emissary, Elizabeth slowly began to move her head from left to right. The motion was so small and rigid, that only by the shiver of her sliver strands did Meliodas notice. Despite all the noise bouncing off the walls of the hallway filled with people, every Sin present silenced when they heard the princess' trembling voice.

"Papa..." She used to call him Papa. When the king adopted her, she'd been so lonely and starved for affection that she had immediately accepted him as that. He was the only father she'd ever known. She called him Papa long after her sisters traded the title in for Father.

Diane started to shed the tears that Elizabeth lacked, "Oh Elizabeth..."

King was hovering over Gilthunder, suddenly ashamed at his reaction. He needed to be strong for his newest comrade.

Merlin watched the princess with a wary eye. It was rare when she could not read what someone might do next, but when their expression was as blank as Elizabeth's was now... well, even her powers of observation had their limits.

Not a soul had glanced down at Hawk ever since Gilthunder had taken a hesitant step back during his miniature interrogation. He turned and nuzzled the hand Elizabeth hung slack and murmured, "Oh Elizabeth..."

Gowther found himself perplexed. Kings die just as everyone else eventually did, and to his knowledge, this one had led a long and fruitful life. "What are you orders, Captain?"

Finally tearing his eyes from the princess, Meliodas turned to King Arthur, "Ban is still at the lake. Would you mind sending someone to stock his ship with whatever he may need?"

Arthur nodded, being pulled away from watching the grief-stricken princess as well, "Yes, yes of course."

"Thanks." The Sin Captain then turned to Gilthunder, "who is the queen?"

Gilthunder raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the small man speaking. He could feel power practically dripping from him... this man was not as calm as he seemed. "Princess Veronica has not yet been officially crowned, but she is the acting queen."

That was good. It meant the at the very least, the hierarchy had not been taken over. His heart felt a bit more at ease with that information, but only a bit. Most of him ached right alongside the woman next to him. Never releasing Elizabeth's one hand, Meliodas came to her front and took her other in his free hand. He spoke softly, hoping his voice would reach her. He'd lived many, many years. He was no stranger to loss. "Elizabeth. ...Elizabeth? We need to take you home... at least for a little bit."

Diane gasped, "We can go with her, Captain?"

King smiled, why hadn't he thought of that? Of course the captain wouldn't let her go alone. It was clear that the two of them had formed a strong bond, and he would not make her see this through without him.

Stomping his foot at Diane's surprise, Hawk squealed, "Well _obviously_ we are! Whaddaya think we are? Heartless?!"

Gilthunder cleared his throat, "Uh... hmm, I am not sure what the queen would think of this..."

Merlin chuckled musically, placing a well manicured hand gracefully on a jutting hip, "I'd like to see her try and stop us." She turned to the elven knight and winked flirtatiously enough to make his ear twitch. "Elizabeth is one of us now, and we will see to her pain as family should." The mage then turned to King Arthur with a smile that would dazzle most men, "We are going to take a slight... detour, Arthur. Matters of state and all..."

Meliodas smiled up at Elizabeth and found himself intensely relieved when her eyes flickered down into his, and gave her a wink with a thumb's up. "Ya hear that, Elizabeth? Toldja you were one of us."

The legendary Merlin turned her back on the king, elf and silent councilmen and waved a hand as she bridged the two step gap to her captain and Elizabeth. "I suggest you hitch a ride with us, Sir Knight."

Gilthunder's eyes widened, realizing who this woman must be from the information Veronica had given him. He quickly looked back to the king and said, "Please inform Goodman Nimue to release my stag. He will find his way home."

Meliodas looked to Hawk as the Sins gathered close. The partners nodded and Hawk quickly took off the way they'd come yelling, "You'd better behave yourself, Meliodaaaaaaas!"

Just as soon as Gilthunder managed to put a hand on King's shoulder, all of the Sins, princess and knight disappeared in a swirling cloud of purple smoke.

The group reappeared on a sort of balcony/walkway that was lined with a railing, adorned with white vines and the occasional blue leaf twining its way about the entire length of the structure. The sun spoke of it being slightly later in the morn than in Camelot, and an elven woman garbed in a long white gown that collared up around her neck stared at them utterly bewildered. Her long hair that flowed down her back came close to matching that of the color she wore, save for the slightest hint of violet. Her hair and gown complimented one another just as the laurel of deep purple blossoms accentuated the earthly color swimming in her eyes.

Her gaze locked on Elizabeth and all matter of surprise faded into refreshing relief. She ran right between the strange blonde man and beguiling raven haired woman to embrace the girl who barely had her wits about her. "Elizabeth! I am so grateful that you are safe! Without a doubt the Goddess' have answered my prayers!"

"M, Margaret...?" Elizabeth's voice asked out hoarsely.

"...Captain." King eyes were out and looking toward the distant sounds of battle.

Meliodas was in the process of nodding before he cried out, " _GET DOWN!"_ He tackled both Elizabeth and the girl holding her to the tiled floor just before a powerful explosion spell erupted a fair chunk of the walkway in front of them.

Diane was beginning to stand from where she'd quickly crouched and guarded her head when Meliodas began issuing out commands. "Diane, stay here and guard the princesses. The rest of you, with me."

He crouched to jump but halted when a soft hand suddenly latched onto his wrist. Meliodas' eyes went round when he turned to see that Elizabeth had scurried out from underneath the other woman he'd tackled, and was on all fours as she reached out for him. "Sir, Sir Meliodas! Wh, where are you going...?"

The worry that clung to her eyes swelled his heart and strengthened his resolve, "We are gonna make sure your people are okay, Elizabeth. You just stay here and catch up with your sister, we'll be back before ya know it!"

In what felt like slow-motion, Meliodas laid his hand over Elizabeth's, lifted it off of him—and leapt off the railing of the path halfway up the castle walls. Merlin and Gowther followed without hesitation but King hung back for a mere fraction of a moment to look down at the two princesses, "Don't worry your highnesses, the Seven Deadly Sins are your allies." He looked to Gilthunder and spoke in the voice of a king, "I trust you will join us to ensure your people that we fight _with_ them?"

Gilthunder visibly stood straighter, "Yes, your majesty."

Margaret looked over to him and smiled, he'd brought her sister home, and made it back safely himself. Truly the Goddesses were looking out for them during this horrible crisis.

The Fairy King stood strong and commanding, a rare form for Diane to witness. He had drifted backwards as he'd spoke to hover over the space their captain had jumped. From there King turned to look at Diane and nodded to her. They both had their duties.

The shrunken giantess smirked and nodded back, and King and Gilthunder were gone. Using whatever method they possessed to catch the other Sins to protect the city of Liones from the unknown threat.

The three women were quiet, Princess Margaret sitting on the floor, Diane looking off in the direction her comrades went, and Elizabeth staring at the hand Meliodas had removed from his.

A second loud boom broke apart the short lived melancholy, bringing Diane to action. "Apologizes, Princess," was all she uttered as she hoisted Margaret to her feet and tugged Elizabeth's arm up with her other. With both of them in tow, the Serpent Sin took them through the nearest entryway.

The first princess of Liones looked to her sister with the same wilted ears she possessed as Diane pulled them deeper into the castle, "Veronica is going to be very upset by how easily these people entered the kingdom."

Elizabeth shook her head, still unable to gather all of her wits about her.

The hall led to an open archway into a room large enough to host audiences before she stopped. The room was dark and smelled of stale air from lack of use. Diane finally halted and turned around with a hand on her hip. Margaret was breathing heavily, and Elizabeth's legs gave way underneath her. The grounds underneath them rumbled from the battle outside. Diane's voice echoed in the large room, "So you wanna fill us in on what really happened?"

Margaret looked at the brunette curiously for a moment, then dusted herself off in an attempt to regain her composure. "Everything has been turned upside down. When our cousins discovered Elizabeth was no longer here, they began acting much more hostile toward us. Next thing I knew, their emissaries were leaving. Then..." She paused, looking down at her tightly clasped hands.

Elizabeth glanced up at her sister. Even wearing a white gown traditional to someone consumed with grief, she managed to act like a queen. Her voice didn't waver, the only tell as to her unease was the way she fidgeted with her hands. Margaret had always been Elizabeth's model as to what she should be one day. "Then..." she continued, "the morning before yesterday... Father was found dead in his bed." The princess let out a calming breath before she finished, "poisoned by a serpent while he slept."

A gasp escaped Elizabeth's lips and she covered her mouth in horror. Diane grimaced and suddenly grew much more wary of their surroundings. "That must mean not everyone here can be trusted, your highness. Where can I take you so that I know you are safe."

 _Safe..._ Elizabeth thought, feeling ripped apart from the inside, _I used to think this was where me and my loved ones would always be safe..._

"No, safety is not the issue right now." Margaret stood straighter, watching the giantess carefully. "Right now, we must see to protecting our people."

Elizabeth stared at her sister's sudden strength in awe.

The first princess turned to her sister and took her hands, "Elizabeth, with Father gone, the seals stand alone. I am sure that is why our cousins have begun this attack—but we can use this to our advantage."

Diane raised a brow as Elizabeth stuttered, "Wha, what? I don't... don't understand."

"Please trust me. As the first daughter, all the histories flooded into me once Father..." Margaret shook her head, trying to dislodge the image of her father lying on his bed, pale and cold. "I know how to stop these hostilities, Elizabeth, but I need your help!"

"Wait a minute! The captain ordered me to protect you guys, you're _not_ going out there, and besides, what's all this talk of cousins?"

Margaret sighed, withholding the shake of her head she almost did at the outsider's ignorance, "The drow elves." She cleared her throat and nodded formally to the brunette, "I am Princess Margaret of Liones. While I am grateful for your added protection, you will not hinder me from doing all that I can."

Diane's eyes widened, this princess had spunk too, huh?

Elizabeth shook her head, "Sister... how can this be happening?"

The first princess merely shook her head, knowing that if she said more it would only serve to engulf her sister in guilt. "Come." She lifted up her skirts, displaying the thin comfortable slippers underneath and took Elizabeth's hand before sprinting through the room.

Diane huffed, "Hey! I'm coming too!"

Margaret led them up a narrow stairwell and through another hallway, and then pushed open a part of the wall between two rooms.

"Woooow..." Diane blinked, "a secret door!"

Simply narrowing her eyes at the outsider, Margaret pulled Elizabeth through and brought her up yet another stairway.

This one led them all the way up to the ceiling, where the princess opened the hatch and climbed out to one of the few castle towers that was flat instead of roofed in a tall point. From this vantage, they could see the battle being waged right in the streets of their people's homes and shops. Elizabeth gasped, "I don't understand! Why is this happening!" Her voice was faltering, fear ebbing through her. She could see her father's knights out there, mounted on the white stags they partnered with holding back the drows advance.

She yelped as Margaret pulled her down to her knees, "Elizabeth! Remember your priestess training! _Help me._ "

Elizabeth's ears lowered, feeling helpless, "But sister, you are the priestess!"

"All three of us have had the same training, now come. Do as I do."

Without fully understanding, Elizabeth followed her sister's directions. With her father's passing, Margaret had had a sudden wealth of knowledge passed from him to her; it was an ancient magic the Goddesses bestowed the royal family with when the elven race was new. Thus it was likely she knew something that Elizabeth did not. Her sister already had her head down and hands clasped tightly near her lips, kneeling on both her knees. Elizabeth quickly followed her example.

Diane frowned. She never took much merit in prayer—but then again, none of the Sins did. She looked out onto the battlefield and pressed her lips together. "Be safe guys..."

^.~

" _Get that line back in rank!_ " Veronica called out to the soldiers flanking her left. She rode a mighty white stag with majestic antlers crowning the top of his noble head. From chin to toe, she wore magically imbued mithril armor and held high her elven-wrought long sword. On her head rested the very laurel she typically avoided wearing. Her people needed to see it today. The people of Liones would see that their kingdom remained strong even after the cowardly assassination that robbed them of their king.

The drows thinking her people weak from this calamity would be their undoing.

Many of the enemy possessed strong offensive magics that strove to weaken her people's resolve, but Veronica countered that with her own courage. If she showed no fear in the heat of battle, then her soldiers would not either.

Just as their formation righted itself, it seemed as though the very sky before her sliced in two. Drow elves fortunate enough to be crouched or had the quick enough foresight to duck were the only ones that did not get blasted back. Veronica sensed a formidable power coming in fast from behind her—no, above her—no... in front of her...?

A blonde boy that only stood as tall as her stag's neck landed nimbly at her front with his back facing her. Who was this...? She opened her mouth to protest his presence, but before even the slightest of sound escaped her mouth, the child looked over his shoulder at her.

This was no boy...

His eyes. This was a demon of old—and she could smell the bloodlust he was filled with. A chill ran up her spine as he smiled at her with a boyish grin, "Little Gil said you wanted Elizabeth back home. Don't mind us, we're just making sure she keeps the home she just got back to!"

 _Little... Gil? By the Goddesses... Elizabeth? Elizabeth really was with the Seven Deadly Sins? That means...!_

 _This man before me is... Meliodas._

She didn't care about all the stories Harlequin would tell them. This man was bad news. How did he blast all those men back?

 _With nothing but a twig? What could he have done had he had a sword instead...?_

Before she had much of a chance to assess the situation further, explosions erupted the ground between her and the demon, rearing her stag despite his intelligence and training. As she opened her mouth to bark more orders, her voice was muted as the creature before her called out his.

"Hey Gowther! See that girl with the black hair all dressed in white? Go give her a 'how do ya do' and bring her back alive would ya?"

"Yes sir, Captain," called out another stranger with a feminine build and jettisoned past them towards the woman pointing a sword at her from a distance.

The blonde man was not done. "Merlin, go—"

"Aye Captain," Merlin agreed, and vanished from somewhere behind them before Veronica even knew she'd been there.

At that moment, Harlequin and Sir Gilthunder flanked both her sides. The fairy king looked to her and smiled confidently, "The Seven Deadly Sins are here to help."

The second princess turned back to the blonde man swooping into the drows directly in front of them like they were nothing more than an enjoyable obstacle course with a grin on his face that made her think that he thought this was no more than a game.

She turned back to Harlequin and narrowed her eyes. The Seven Deadly Sins were here to help? Ha!

The seals had no guardian. She had a horrible feeling that she knew exactly what Meliodas' end game was here.

The Seven Deadly Sins were a blight on this world, and if this demon, their captain, wanted to dance with the devil... there was not a thing that she could do stop him.

* * *

 **Better? Not so bad of a cliffhanger, right? ㈳3  
Me love you, but last chappie just had to have that _TO BE CONTINUED_ kinda feel.**

 **ANNOUNCEMENT!  
** _ **I am going to put out a T-rated OVA called The Adventures of Captain Ban very soon! Maybe get some of those who dare not come to the M side see a brighter light to the dark side. *grin* Nah, it'll be fun—just don't expect Elaine to be putting out for our friendly neighborhood fox just yet.  
SOOOOOOOO... if you want easier access to the pirate fun and haven't already, click that lil 'follow author' box. Only if I fit the bill though. :p**_

 **I lick you now, cuz you deserve it and I like ure salty goodness!**

 **OfFENsive** **: Yea... I did. ^^;; I totally left you hanging. Dun string me up until after the torture, mkay?  
** **BettyDearest** **: They TOTALLY made some wine! o.o;; DUN SPILL URE BEER and all... ah ha ha... heh... And yes, crazy about the cult classics up in here. It's one of the things that makes fan fics fun for me! Hehe! Officially speaking... there is no queen, YET. Lil Gil was jumpin the gun.  
** **TelTel** **: Yes, I do believe that once I get ten of the commandments, I'll stop recording them. They'll just be for my love and amusement. :D As always, love your reviews!  
** **Dom** **: DOOM DOOM DOOM! D: Veronica is the assumed queen, and as for the assassin... perhaps we should hire a certain Sherlock Holmzie demon boy...  
** **Pippie** **! Pain? *twists the knife* what pain? Let's add some FIRE! Burns, now those are painful. *wink*  
** **MyLuv** **: Me? Kill Baltra? WHO TOLD YOU!? I mean, er,** _ **Nooooo, you silly goose! I'd NEVER indulge in such malicious activities!**_ **And yes, Hendrickson no nice, even to his subordinates, and yes, wine is good. ^.^  
** **Stormie** **: Hey, hey, HEY! Dun you start getting bossy over there, you! I do what I want! Or er, um, what our lovely Dom ALLOWS me to do. Eh heh heh...  
** **Calantha** **: Possible feelings of guilt will have to be put on the back burner for now, the kingdom's in peril!  
** **Yojimbo** **: OMG, that commandment is still freakin awesome, XD So glad you're still enjoying the ride!  
** **Deamonik** **: Me licky this time! *lick lick lick* mmmm *licks sum moar!* I am so, so glad I made you laugh! Those parts are the absolute best parts of anime to me!**

 **All for you my lovelies.  
Seriphia aka Lick**


	16. Moonlight

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
** **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
** **3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
** **4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
** **5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
** **6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
** **7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
** **8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
** **9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

Moonlight

Waking in her own bed in the early hours of morning was more than just a shock for the third princess of Liones. She gagged as though she were drowning, reaching for the surface in a futile attempt to gasp for air. Shivering from a fleeting dream, Elizabeth breathed in air like the supply would be cut from her at any moment. Sitting there in obscured familiarity was not helping her catch her bearings, either.

Where was she?

The sounds of wind rustling through an ocean of leaves were the first of many things to help return her to recognition. Next came the rustic smells that came hand in hand with being in the forest. She'd always loved how the scent permeated even the innermost rooms of the castle.

Castle...

 _This is my room..._ Her eyes widened as the things from a day that had only just begun came flooding back to her. Merlin had taken her home—had brought all of them to the castle. Her hands trembled as she recalled the earth shattering boom that had wiped out the walkway in front of them. Sir Meliodas had dived down to protect not only her... but her sister as well. _There's not a man alive who would not protect someone as caring and beautiful as Margaret._

Elizabeth surprised herself when she noticed how tightly she gripped her fists at the thought. Was she... jealous of Margaret? Absurd. Then the next memory came to her...

 _Sir Meliodas removed my hand from his..._

Silver hair shimmered in the moonlight as she shook the thought away. Why was it nighttime? Margaret, Diane, and herself were on the roof—it hadn't even been midday. The capitol had been under attack, was everyone okay? Why couldn't she remember anything after the tower?

 _Papa..._

No more sleeping. Elizabeth lifted herself up from her bed, awkwardly avoiding the canopy that curtained down from it. After traveling with the Sins... it seemed awfully unnecessary to be rising from such a frilly bed. Someone had changed her clothes. The elven maiden now wore a more traditional sleeping gown. A strapless violet dress that draped down to the floor like a warm blanket flowing around her legs. Curious to see what time it was, Elizabeth first went to her balcony, tossing open the tempered glass door to step into the morning air.

At the sight of the moon shining, Elizabeth let out a breath she did not know she'd been holding. She hugged herself tightly against the chill air and stepped to the railing with vines encircling it. She looked over the trees and sighed, lifting her gaze to the darkened sky.

"A little chilly out this morning to be wearing that..."

Elizabeth yelped at the unexpected voice and her eyes darted to its location. There, sitting against the corner of her private balcony, rested the very knight that constantly made her loose her wits, looking no worse for wear than he did before he ran off to battle for the sake of her people. "Sir, Sir Meliodas!"

He looked so formidable there in that corner, buried in shadow. The Dragon Sin slowly stood up, letting out a breath of his own and stepped up closer to her. "How are you, Elizabeth?"

She lowered her gaze, and stared at her fingers fiddling with her gown, "I'm... I'm, uh..."

"Elizabeth..." He laid a heavy hand on her shoulder, "I am so sorry about your father... Baltra was a good man."

A whimper escaped her as she kept from looking at him. Her throat felt scratchy, and the air felt thicker. Things were never going to be the same without her father.

"Sir... Meliodas...? What happened?"

The handsome knight in front of her smiled softly, and put his hand over the two she was toying with. "Truthfully... I couldn't tell you much more than you." Meliodas bent over to catch her gaze, " _Someone_ put half the battle to sleep..."

Elizabeth blinked down at his good natured expression, "What...? Who?"

Meliodas straightened, resting his head behind his hands, "That's the big question, isn't it?"

"Um..." Her mind was swimming with too many questions to fret much on his obscure answer. "Why are you out here?"

The Sin Captain's face melted to serious, "Word is that your father was murdered while he slept. None of the three of you will sleep without someone guarding every entrance to your rooms."

"Oh..." Elizabeth's eyes lowered again.

Silence filled the area between them. Meliodas trying to figure out what was going on within her mind while appearing nonchalant, and Elizabeth trying not to think much of anything after the reminder of exactly how her father had met his end.

"Elizabeth?"

Her eyes lifted from her feet and met his again. Under the moonlight, those green pools looked like the dark green of their most ancient tree. So old it bore its own legend and name. It was under that very tree that Harlequin had first told her of his band called the Seven Deadly Sins. There would never be a time when Elizabeth would not find herself forgetting her woes when staring into eyes like his. They told of so much, yet she could translate none of it. "...Yes? Sir Meliodas."

"Your kingdom has weird customs."

Her chest heaved once in laughter withheld, "Yes... I suppose we do. I can assume you mention this because of my sister's coronation and Father's funeral being but one ceremony is why you say that?"

The knight smiled and winked at her slyly, "That could be part of it..."

"Then what else...?"

"Oh..." Meliodas looked up at the darkened sky, "not much..."

Elizabeth stood straighter and lifted a brow at him, "Very well, Sin. Keep your secrets."

Meliodas lowered his eyes back to her, folding his arms (he was determined to keep his hands to himself while she mourned) and drawled, "I love it when you act all... regal."

"Eep!" Well, there went her royal airs. At the sound of the knight's chuckle, Elizabeth smoothed her gown and raised her chin higher. With her father gone, she must be able to keep her emotions in better check. Her chest started to heave with the fresh wound resurfacing yet again. She took a deep breath with her eyes closed, then another... and one more. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Meliodas a step farther away with his hands deep in his pockets, peacefully watching her collect herself.

Elizabeth cleared her throat and put her hands behind her back. "Sir Meliodas, I am going to go for a walk." She tilted her head, her ears level with her eyes. "Am I to assume you are coming with me?"

Meliodas' half smiled, his eyes suddenly filled with mirth from her unconventional invitation. "Yep."

"Wait here." Elizabeth walked back into her room, just a little too quickly for someone trying to slip back into her princess training.

The maiden leaned against the closed doors for a moment, breathing deeply. It may be early morning, but she would prepare for the day anyway—since it would seem that she slept through practically all of yesterday.

Opening her closet doors met with unexpected loneliness. There was nothing but her clothes in here. Not even the slightest scent of Sir Meliodas lingering in this closet. Elizabeth shook her head at the strange thought and began looking for anything white.

White was the color of mourning in her country. One was to wear white to celebrate the life of those lost. The idea was to lessen grief by remembering the deceased's life and wishing them well on their journey.

It wasn't working very well. How was she supposed to celebrate her father's life when it was stolen from him?

…. _murdered._

Before her hands started to tremble, the princess picked out what little white she owned. A white sleeveless tunic with silver scroll work that slit up her sides, and matching pants. They fit snugly to her form and allowed a fair amount of free movement considering how long the tunic was. The top was collared to reach up to her chin, as most elven women-wear did, but as she hooked it together—the third hook from the top ripped off.

 _Ugh... figures. The runaway daughter cannot even dress properly to grieve her father._

The collared tunic dipped down to show a modest amount of cleavage. Not near as bad as Sir Meliodas' shirt. She found that she didn't care. Elizabeth settled for a pair of dark purple boots since she did not have white and she had no interest in wearing slippers. Giving herself a look over in the mirror had her frowning.

 _I look like a bloody monk... and a dead one too. All this white is just making my skin look ghostly and my hair dull and dirty._

This was no time for vanity. Elizabeth hastily ran a brush through her hair and quickly stepped back out onto the balcony before she decided to change into something more her style. Meliodas had been leaning on the rail, looking out at the city when she returned. He turned back around to greet her with a smile and a nod.

Elizabeth practically glowed under the moonlight. Not for the first time, he thought her a moon goddess. Surely it was wrong of her to look so beautiful when greeting a sinner like him. He raised a brow and managed to say, "So a walk, huh?"

He hadn't had much opportunity to see a sly smile coming from this woman, so it managed to surprise him when she looked at him that way. His heart thumped faster as her lips and eyes played tricks with his comprehension of logic. Meliodas walked to the doors she came from and opened it, "Lead the way."

Elizabeth raised a brow at him holding the door open for her. "Very well."

Swinging her legs over the balcony railing and disappearing into the darkness was the very last thing Meliodas expected. He smiled and closed the door again. Little princess is scaling the castle walls? Exactly how many times has this woman escaped her room that way? The knight jumped onto the railing and squatted down, looking for the woman who never ceased to amaze him. Once he spotted her, she was already halfway down. He grinned and called out, "Hey Elizabeth! Wanna race?"

The elf looked back up at him and blinked, "You'd better hurry then! I've got a pretty good lead."

"Sure!"

He watched her scale down using the scaffolds and vines for a bit longer before he began his descent. The Sin Captain jumped from tower to tower at a downward angle, and for good measure (and hands that simply could not resist any longer) scooped up his princess before he took hold of a sturdy vine to slide the rest of the way. Once he landed, he was holding her bridal style and smiled down at her. "I win."

Elizabeth blinked up at him. She'd been proud of how good she'd gotten at getting out of her room unnoticed, and this man just _hopped_ down? "I suppose there's a reason why you're the Sin Captain..."

Meliodas' reply surprised her beyond words. At first, he looked humble, scratching his cheek while standing her on her feet. "I suppose..." He walked off a few steps and cupped his hands behind his head again, then leaned his head back to look at her. "But I was just trying to impress you so that you would be more likely to say yes when I figure out how I want to propose."

And she'd been doing so well keeping herself from blushing too... _Sir Meliodas... propose? Is he making another joke?_

Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond, but no words would come—thus she was actually relieved when he spoke up again.

"Which way, Elizabeth? I thought you were showing me around."

"Oh! ...Y, yes, of course, Sir Meliodas." She took the lead and started walking along the castle's wall. Without realizing it, this walk was a sort of therapy for her. As they walked, Elizabeth would point out things that Meliodas never would have given a second glance. She showed him where she'd broken her leg the first time she'd tried climbing down the castle walls without Veronica, and then there was this place where she'd spotted a young boy trying to break in just so that he could see for himself what everyone always said about Margaret being the most beautiful Lady in all the land. Elizabeth giggled, remembering the boy's enthusiastic gestures.

Meliodas walked alongside her, admiring the few glimpses of happiness that slithered from her shroud of sadness.

^.~

Gowther sat on the opposite side of the bars that confined Guila. She had drifted to sleep hours ago, but the Goat Sin kept going over the things he'd scribbled down for the other Sins' benefit. He would never be able to understand why many of them needed to read something to help them remember.

Pulling memories from this woman had been pointless. She knew nothing of the king's assassination. Reporting that to Merlin had caused her a very displeased scowl. Couldn't they see that it was perfectly plausible that the king could have been killed by a third party and that the drows were only being used as pawns? That's what he'd do after all. Raise tensions between countries, then kill the king. The opposing monarch would see it as a perfect opportunity to attack, since he still harbored ill will; now with the woodland and drow elves officially at war, the real murderer would be free to pull at the strings of whichever puppet he wanted.

This Guila was a high ranking official in the drow military. If there had been a plan to assassinate the king here, his calculations showed that there was a 90% chance that she would have at least heard a rumor of the plan.

The locals here were not pleasant. He'd tried to get them to relieve the snake that killed the king to him, but they'd just scowled and replied that it had been disposed of. Honestly... getting rid of the murder weapon? Amatures.

Curious and curiouser, was the bright light that came from the castle right when the battle had begun to become interesting. This Guila was an impressive specimen. Once the white light faded, every drow elf on the entire battlefield had been put to sleep. It was impossible. A sleeping spell can be used with an area effect, but it cannot pick and choose who it puts to sleep. Yet only the enemy had fallen to the ground.

Well... the enemy and the captain.

For only the drows and the captain to have been put to sleep, there must be something common between them that none of the others present had. But what?

Gowther lifted his eyes from the papers and rested them on his sleeping captive instead. She looked so peaceful.

"...Peaceful."

^.~

Eventually, Elizabeth led Meliodas to the stables. She'd told him there was someone here she wanted him to meet. These stables were quite a bit different from the ones in Camelot. There were no doors to the stalls, and the stags could come and go as they pleased. The stalls were roomy and filled with hay that most of the creatures used as beds and were free to walk the forests just as the elves did. These animals walked with a pride and majesty befitting the antlers crowning their heads. A few were awake and walking about. They gave the eerie feeling of spirits drifting through the night, gleaming in the moonlight. Young does frolicked in the pastures, while older does tended to their children.

Two calves pranced right up to Elizabeth when they breached the stables and they cooed happily at her, and suddenly Meliodas had something besides the moon to compare her to. Dressed in all white as she was, she looked like the humanoid embodiment of these noble animals. The smile she grew as she caressed the cheeks of the little ones who greeted her was as pure as freshly fallen snow. He was staring at her, for the first time contemplating his worthiness of such a woman when a doe pressed her nose into his hand. The Dragon Sin turned and smiled to it and tickled its chin, "Well, hello there."

"Don't worry, Tay'thaanis. He is a dear friend." Elizabeth smiled to the doe exploring him. The princess walked to her and stroked her white neck with a slender hand, "Where is Tay'moraad?"

The doe lifted her head and looked further down the stalls.

"Oh... um... thank you." Elizabeth nibbled her bottom lip, reminding Meliodas of how horribly she treated such a beautiful face before she knelt down and snuggled the calves saying, "you two listen to your mother and stay out of Margaret's carrot garden. I'm sure the groundskeeper is getting sore at the two of you!"

The calves danced around her for another moment, then scurried off, their mother following after another nod to the princess.

Meliodas watched them go with a half smile, "I've heard of how intelligent these guys were rumored to be, but I never thought they'd just understand what you tell them."

Elizabeth smiled at him, "The ancient demon lord actually learned something? Well I suppose miracles do still happen."

Considering his feelings toward this elven princess... his response was, "You have no idea."

They walked on to the corner stall that the doe had motioned to, to find two stags there, the bigger one had its massively crowned head laid deeply in the hay as though its antlers had proved too heavy for him. The younger buck turned to look her directly in the eyes. Elizabeth smiled brightly and fell to the ground to embrace the younger one, "Tay'moraad!" The stag playfully nipped at her hair and she chuckled, "I've missed you too."

Meliodas stared at the larger one who hadn't moved a muscle from their arrival. "...Elizabeth." He kept his voice low.

The princess turned to him, then to the larger creature and frowned sympathetically. "Oh... Tay'shire..." She crawled over to him and put her head on the creature's broad forehead. "Meliodas. This is Tay'shire... Father's dearest friend."

The king's mount...? The beast was grieving for the king just as the rest of the kingdom?

This is where Elizabeth finally released the emotions she'd forced down. In her effort to comfort the strongest and wisest stag of the woodland forest, she found herself mourning with him instead. She'd began to offer words of comfort to console the creature, but the more she offered, the shakier her voice got—and it wasn't long before her eyes filled with tears that began spilling onto Tay'shire's face.

Meliodas knelt by her and laid a warm hand on her back, unsure how best to console her.

When Elizabeth realized that she was crying on top of the very stag she'd been trying to help, she lifted herself up and started blubbering apologies. Tay'shire rolled his head slightly to watch her wipe away tears when only more came, and Tay'moraad nudged her toward Meliodas. Needing no more prodding, Elizabeth dived into his arms, his eyes wide from his surprise that one of these stags would promote her seeking comfort in him. If these creatures were what he was beginning to suspect, they knew he was a demon... and not just any demon either. Tay'moraad stared deeply into his eyes as Meliodas wrapped his arms around the sobbing princess and buried his nose in her hair, holding her snugly.

He had begun to wonder when she would cry...

" _Papa! Papa! I'm so sorry, Papa!_ " She sobbed uncontrollably, " _please forgive me Papa, I didn't know... I would have said goodbye... oh Papa!"_

This is how they stayed as the sun rose to greet the morning air. Meliodas soothed her with all the patience one would never expect from one given the title Dragon Sin of Wrath, as Elizabeth slowly ran out of tears to shed.

When her sobs began to stifle, and her voice felt hoarse, she finally lifted herself from the Sin's shoulder. She glanced to her father's stag, now looking at her with obvious concern, just as her own stag did. With Meliodas still holding her closely, she lifted a shaky hand on Tay'shire's head. "I don't know what to do now..."

The stag snorted at her in a response, causing Elizabeth to pull her hand away. She turned her head down, staring at a button on her knight's shirt. "I... I feel as though this is all my fault..." Meliodas began to shake his head as she continued, "if I hadn't of left..." her breath began to choke up again. "Then father may still be alive."

"No Elizabeth." Meliodas tilted her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. "Look at all the pieces here. The drows wanted you, the drows know of your lineage, and they were willing to steal you away from Camelot just to get you." His eyes narrowed, filled with conviction, "I am not all that convinced the drow elves had anything to do with your father's death, and I won't indulge any fantasies you have of this being your fault."

"But... Sir Meliodas..."

"Not another word on it Elizabeth." He took both his hands and held her face in front of his so he could make sure she saw nothing but his eyes. "Baltra's death was _not_ your fault."

He could tell she still didn't fully believe him, but he also understood that these things take time. Meliodas rested her head back on his shoulder and held her tightly. "You are very special to me, Elizabeth. We will get through this, and I will stay with you every step of the way. I swear it."

Through moist eyes that were run dry from tears, Elizabeth gazed around the stables as her head lay on his strong shoulder. His fingers stroked through her hair and she breathed heavily, "Father is really gone..."

"Yes... I'm afraid that he is."

* * *

 **Hiiiii guys! If you're looking for a contrast to the mourning and sadness, go checkout Ban's first chapter! It's titled _The Adventures of Pirate Captain Ban._ I think something's up with the site again, cuz I didn't even get an email when I put it out. BUT, it's there for anyone interested in what Ban and Elaine are up to while everyone else is here.**

 **Guys, I struggled writing Meliodas this chappie. I was just kinda clueless on how he might help Elizabeth get through this, so... yea, I tried! ^^;;**

 **Lick Lick Lick!**

 **Offensive** **: I glad. Ty! Perhaps I am a meanie, but you love it! Mwahaha!  
** **PippElulu** **: Me sleepy too, but ditto, I luv you too!  
** **BettyDearest** **: AAAND we still don't know much on it! Not many questions answered this chappie! Sowwie!  
** **Calantha** **: Demons ARE misunderstood! I wonder how she'd feel if she knew Meliodas was spending the night out on her sissy's balcony... XD  
** **Stormie** **: I type! I type! No whip pleeeease! It hurts me so good! o.o;;  
** **Deamonik** **: You could be on to something there... not much skates by our favorite little demon. And we need to go have a SERIOUS sit down with Margaret. How much will she tell them? Exactly what does she know?  
** **Dom** **: I luv you too! And your counter? ….FUCKING AMAZING. (I'm doing better now... btw. :D)  
** **My Luv** **: Gowther made you laugh! HA! You should feel horrible! Nyaah! And keep up with those questions—one might get answered... eventually! XD  
** **Scarlet Arrow** **: Ask Margaret! Seems like she knows! All those drows... AND Meliodas falling asleep? What's up with that huh?**

 **Thank you for all your reviews.**

 **I should have been writing on my zombie Nalu—but you guys feed my addiction so much better... I can't help it! (dun worry Scarlet, the Nalu chappie is about halfway done!) All these awesome reviews are my drug, and I definitely get a lil shaky without them! :)**

 **Aishiteru.  
** **Seriphia, aka Lick**


	17. Nevermore

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
M is for MATURE, people.  
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

Nevermore

Daylight brought an unexpected visitor to the space Gowther occupied. He really didn't mind so much since his carefully laid notes were securely put away before the chaotic girl from a couple days ago crashed her way straight through the wall of the dungeon. His prisoner sat up abruptly and shielded her eyes from the falling debris, despite how deeply she slept.

"Get up Guila, we gotta go."

The voice of the blunette now within her cell was familiar to both Gowther and Guila. The drow dressed in white stood on shaky feet, not because she was hurt, but because she feared what might be waiting for her when she returned.

Jericho frowned at her, visibility clearing as the debris settled. "Guila! You don't understand! As the leading officer, the prince has sent a party out to _specifically_ bring you back! I've got to get you out of here before they do!"

Gowther adjusted his glasses and spoke in a casual monotone way, "So you are the preliminary rescue before the rescue team? Interesting..."

The drow elf turned to the Sin and squealed in panic, "You?! _You're who they've got watching the prison!_ " Jericho quickly turned back to her comrade, "RUN!"

"Should you be in trouble, I know of where you may hide out for a while..." Gowther tilted his head curiously at the warrior's increased heart rate.

Guila accepted Jericho's hand and leaned against her, glancing at the handsome Goat Sin, "You're not going to stop us?"

"I do not see much logic in keeping someone detained that is of no further use... however, if you give consent, I am sure I could find other uses for you..." Gowther put his hands behind his back innocently.

Jericho frowned, "Don't buy into it Guila, he's the enemy."

Guila found herself blushing at Gowther's words, even though they did not make much sense to her, "But... he mentioned sanctuary!"

"Will that safehouse have room for your brother?" Jericho spat, " _we gotta go!"_

With that Jericho lifted Guila's arm over her shoulder and jumped out of the hole she'd made upon entry. Gowther looked up at the hole and blinked the dust in his eyes away. "Hmm. Brother..."

^.~

When King finally found his captain and Elizabeth, he found them frittering away the morning in the stables. It was said that moon stags were created by the Goddesses' tears when they wept for humanity's first sin. The souls that took residence in these bodies were rumored to be servants of the Ascended, and the way they acknowledged him through intelligent eyes only intensified the suspicion. Elizabeth stood with Tay'shire, he was the king's partner, King knew him well and it warmed his heart to see Baltra's daughter brushing him down.

What surprised him though, was the sight of his captain wrestling with a slightly smaller stag. Two calves danced around them, clearly siding with the stag against Meliodas with how they were sneaking under his legs and pulling at his clothes. Anything they could do to try and get him to fall as he grappled the stag's antlers while the creature tried to push him back.

King had never seen anything like it.

His captain, the Dragon Sin of Wrath, Demon Lord from the Old Ways... was playing with these moon stags much like his fairy kin would during their visits. His smile was competitive—but not in the same way it was with Ban, and his eyes danced with a childlike glee to rival any young fairy. The Grizzly Sin smiled to himself.

 _The captain has found an inner peace. One much more substantial than anything he's ever had before to contain the wrath within._

His gaze fell back to the princess, watching Meliodas and the stag as though it were the most natural thing in all the world. The soft smile on her lips could almost match the beauty of his beloved Diane.

 _Love is a funny thing indeed._

It broke his heart to break up something so serene, but he'd come searching for Elizabeth. Feeling a tad awkward, he drifted to her, watching Meliodas' game with the stags nervously as he passed.

"Sir King!" Elizabeth smiled warmly at him, "I have not had a chance to thank you yet, for helping to defend our people."

King couldn't help but smile. This was one of the things that separated her from others. She was not seeking sympathy for her tragic loss, nor was she searching it out. Elizabeth would persevere through anything, of this he was sure.

 _She would have to have some salt if she went and fell for the Dragon Sin..._

He realized he was staring when she tilted her head, waiting for him to respond, so he quickly shook himself out of his thoughts, "Oh, oh! It's nothing! Uhhhh..." His eyes looked from his peripherals to see the calves finally trip Meliodas. The Sin captain fell to his back chuckling and both the calves paraded on top of him, having slayed the big bad demon. King sweatdropped—and brought his gaze back to the princess. "Both Diane and I have been looking for you. Your sisters need you to prepare for the... ermm... coronation."

He felt horrible being the one to wipe the smile off her face. Even Elizabeth's ears wilted as she lowered her gaze, placing a reassuring hand on Tay'shire's muzzle. "Ye, yes... thank you Sir King." She turned back up to look into the stag's eyes, " _Yenif an elnedal ya trunuff?"_

Tay'shire groaned and began walking out of the stable at a slow gait.

Meliodas was standing right next to her, scaring her right out of her skin when he asked innocently, "Where's he going?"

Elizabeth pressed a hand to her chest and eyed him suspiciously. King couldn't blame her, normally she should have been able to hear someone step up next to her. She brought her hand to affectionately pat the stag the captain had been wrestling, "Just another one of our... weird customs is all, Sir Meliodas."

King grabbed hold of his security pillow tightly, "The customs get even worse, Captain..."

Elizabeth raised a regal and slender eyebrow at the fairy king.

"Oh! Uh... sorry... more, umm... unique..."

^.~

Diane glanced about while some elf stiff stood up at a podium, rambling on and on. She covered her mouth as she whispered to King, "So where are Gowther and Merlin? How'd they get outta this?"

King frowned, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. He may feel sharp dressed in his white suit, but Diane was just stunning in her sliver etched gown, "I, I don't know, shhhh!"

It seemed like nearly all of the capitol had crowded into the audience hall in respects to their fallen king. Meliodas had ordered the Sins to be on the look out, and so King and Diane were near the back, watching the crowd for any possible foul play. His gaze kept returning to an elven knight stationed at the entrance. He probably thought he looked pretty cool with his hair slicked back and masculine build... but if he kept looking at Diane like that, King might have to go over there and poke those eyes out of his pointy eared skull.

Elizabeth and Margaret stood to each side of their sister, who stood in front of her father's chair. Margaret wore traditional white priestess robes that were lined with gold runes. She had her hood pulled up, hiding what was probably a face tormented by the loss of her father. Elizabeth had no such luxury, though she seemed to be keeping it together fairly well. Although she did wring her hands together with downcast eyes. Veronica stood straight and tall, looking out toward her people with a steady, piercing gaze wearing an ornate suit of armor polished to shine. All three princesses had identical purple laurels resting atop their heads.

The king's stag, Tay'shire, had pulled a sled laden with Baltra's body inside and it now sat before the podium as several different elves stood to make speeches about their fallen king. Eventually, It was Princess Margaret's turn to speak. Meliodas watched her carefully, well aware that she had been watching him watch Elizabeth while under the shadows of her hood.

She walked with all the grace befitting the first princess of Liones. Once she stood behind the podium, she lowered her hood and let her dark, knowing eyes glide over the people of their kingdom. When first she opened her mouth, her voice did not escape. Margaret closed her eyes and sighed, then tried again.

"As many of you know, I have been graced with the gift of a priestess. As my duties to the goddesses supersede my duties to country, I will not take my father's role this day." She paused as a few elves in the crowd murmured and shuffled. "This burden is passed to my beloved sister, Princess Veronica, who has already proved her resolve to be pure, and her bravery unquestionable. Her quick thinking and leadership skills kept many citizens from being caught in the crossfires when we were attacked while drowning in a sea of loss. I believe our father, Mighty King Baltra the Lion, would be prouder than words can ever tell of my sister's quick actions."

As she continued her speech, Meliodas recalled words of warning the first princess had pulled him aside for after a heated argument with Veronica shortly after awakening from the battlefield yesterday.

~.~

 _Meliodas was feeling annoyed. He'd been one of the first to wake up and he'd had no idea what had happened besides a brilliant flash of white light. As he was collecting his surroundings of woodland elves dragging drow elves away, Veronica had bore down on him... hard._

 _He couldn't blame her too much though, tensions were high, and he and his crew hadn't really been invited guests—but must she cast so much doubt in him simply because of his race? The Seven Deadly Sins had come to help after all. Meliodas was making his way into the castle after King stood up for him, gaining the Sins castle privileges with the promise of added protection for the royal family. That was when Margaret intercepted him._

 _It could not be a good sign that she was no longer with Elizabeth, "What's happened, where is Elizabeth?"_

 _Margaret's eyes looked him over as she nodded to herself, taking his arm and walking him through a few corridors before speaking more. She stopped them behind a column of a wide hallway and turned to face him. Her gaze was knowing, like his eyes, hers told of histories of old... they spoke of a wisdom only gained through thousands of years of life. Meliodas knew she was not old enough to carry eyes such as those, and it gave him pause._

 _A pause long enough for Margaret to speak. "Darkness is drawn to her, Sir Meliodas. I know the way you look at her all too well. Should you continue to pursue Elizabeth, you must search within yourself to find whether you are drawn to the woman, or the power. For darkness will continue to seek her out, and if you are one of darkness that only seeks to claim her power..."_

 _Margaret stood before him with narrowed eyes as an anger passed through them; a rage he knew extremely intimately, "I will see you bound so tightly that you will never be able to gallivant about this world as a knight ever again. For your true intentions would be proved as evil and it will be well within my right to take steps."_

 _Hostility rose in him that would have met with cataclysmic results had he been unable to remember that this elf's threats were but a result from a woman concerned for her sister. Meliodas had been very careful not to offend Elizabeth's other sister with her belligerent and aggressive threats... but this one... Margaret, he could see that she knew of things most elf kin did not. She was not boasting to bully, not pressing an issue out of stubbornness. Her words rang true, without a hint of fear to follow through._

 _The darker side of him struggled to burst free, to bury the pitiful elfling in her impudence for even hinting at his feelings for Elizabeth being nothing but material. But... was that not the very side of him that starved for power?_

 _It would not rule him._

 _Noticing that her expression never wavered as his eyes flickered darker, Meliodas calmed himself, never showing any other sign of his internal struggle. "This thing growing between your sister and I... cannot be defined by words. I will consider what you say... so long as you consider this:_

" _Anyone who seeks to separate us will be at my wrath's mercy."_

~.~

The Sin captain was brought back to the present as the priestess princess had the people lower their heads in prayer. Glancing his eyes toward an upper balcony, he saw Merlin appear with Gowther. The Sin of Gluttony did not look pleased... Supposing it had something to do with the hike in power he'd felt from the back end of the castle, he shrugged it off for now. White did not suit Merlin, her sour expression could just as easily been for something as superficial as that.

Once the prayer for her father's safe journey concluded, Margaret said, "Princess Elizabeth has no words for her loss, so many having already been spoken. However, she does wish to gift Father with a song the late queen taught me—one that I passed to my sisters." She smiled at the recollection, "Princess Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth then walked up to the podium, where Margaret embraced her warmly. More murmurs were heard as the kingdom witnessed what they needed to witness. The royal family still stood united. Even though the adopted third daughter had left the kingdom, even though the eldest daughter did not want the crown.

Even though justice had yet to be served for the king's murder. The Liones family stood together.

"Little raven fly true  
toward the heavens and with all your might,  
Let not the darkness pursue.  
Carry your load with a heart still bright  
Tread on through the bless'd infinite blue.

"Beware Jack the will o' wisp,  
For he shall bring despair  
The midnight air be chill and crisp.  
He floats in pain he'll gladly share.

"Little raven soar high  
into the heavens and far from shadow;  
He lures all who dare fly by,  
and collects souls where light be shallow  
Ne'er forget his light is but a lie.

"Beware Jack the will o' wisp  
His hate beyond compare  
The midnight air be chill and crisp.  
Lights to lure souls into his lair.

"Little raven fly true...  
those lights be taboo.  
Beware Jack the will o' wisp  
….when  
the night air be chill and crisp."

Merlin raised an inquisitive brow as Elizabeth sang with a clear and strong, yet sad voice.

"I am sensing energies rise in the princess similar to the waves yesterday." Gowther said matter-of-factly. "Could it be that she was the one to have put the captain to sleep? My records have no indication that this elf girl should wield such a strange power."

A soft smile caressed Merlin's painted lips as her eyes glided from Elizabeth's soothing voice over the crowd. Many of the people were plainly more at peace than they'd been before she'd started singing. Then her gaze found Meliodas. He stared at the princess vividly. Most would not have noticed, not much changed... but Merlin knew her captain well. The slight change in his stance, the darker shade of his eyes, and the fact that he actually licked his lips spoke volumes.

The Dragon Sin of Wrath of the Seven Deadly Sins was not only completely head over heels for the elven princess, but something about this song she sung troubled him.

 _Curious._

She folded her arms and closed her eyes, allowing Elizabeth's magic to embrace her and sooth her woes while she responded softly to her fellow Sin, "Not everything in this world is documented, Sir Gowther... far from it."

Once Elizabeth finished, she opened her eyes to affix directly on Meliodas. She did not know she'd been facing in his direction, nor was she expecting him to be looking at her like she was a foreign creature that might be delicious if prepared correctly. Their eyes locked and her feet felt like lead. Had Veronica not come to caress her sister with emotions that had finally leaked out at the sound of their mother's song—there would have been no possible way that she could have walked away from the podium.

However, before her sister even released her from her embrace, the first princess of Liones approached with their father's crown resting on a pillow. While servants came to take the podium away, Elizabeth handed Veronica a handkerchief to dry her eyes.

Margaret's voice echoed in the quiet audience hall, "As first princess of Liones of our fallen father, I ask you, Princess Veronica, are you willing to accept the power to lead our armies in these dark times? Are you willing to guard the sacred seals? Can you put the people's needs before your own? Or shall you pass these responsibilities on to one of your sisters?"

Veronica looked deeply into Margaret's eyes and saw nothing there to lead her to a yes or a no to her questions. The eldest sister stared back at her with strength and courage—she knew she was not at risk of being crowned. Then Veronica turned her gaze to Elizabeth.

The youngest princess did not have so many defenses up... her eyes widened under her sister's gaze even though she willed them not to. As she looked to her, even Elizabeth's ears began to wilt. She did _not_ want to be queen, and Veronica knew it. So why must she stare at her that way?

Finally, Veronica stepped past her sisters and knelt before the people of Liones. "I come to you as an orphan of war. My father was taken in the night... forcing us into battle when we have done nothing to merit such atrocities. The seals _must_ have a guardian, and our people must have a leader unafraid to ride into battle." She stood and spoke in a loud and clear voice, free of fear and hesitation.

"I accept."

Elizabeth stepped up to take the pillow from Margaret so that she may raise their father's crown from it. "Out of the three of us, the crown was _always_ meant for you. By the power vested in the first heir of the woodland elves, I crown you, Princess Veronica of Liones, daughter of King Baltra the Lion...

"Veronica, Battle Queen of Liones."

The first princess lowered the circlet over the laurel already upon her head, and the elves of Liones cheered raucously and jubilantly. As they cheered, the two princesses nodded to their new queen before walking to flank Tay'shire, leading him and Baltra's vessel back down the walkway. Elizabeth passed a look and a fraction of a nod to Meliodas as she walked by, so Meliodas fell in behind her. Just as Gilthunder did behind Margaret. The people continued to cheer as Veronica followed behind her father's sled and all of them paraded out into the decorated front courtyard, already littered with elves and many moon stags.

A huge pyre had been erected to the side, and Tay'shire allowed the two princesses to lead him all the way to the top, where he circled around and brought the sled to rest in the middle. Once Elizabeth and Margaret unhitched him, the stag turned to glance at his friend and partner. His nose nudged the king's pale face before he reared his head up high, crying loudly a moan of his own. It was a piercing cry pointed toward the moon followed by a similar song coming from every other stag, doe and calf in the courtyard.

The mournful call led Margaret to drive herself into Gilthunder's arms as she let herself mourn now that it could not possibly be heard over the creatures' cries. Veronica stood tall and still, and Elizabeth tried to follow her example—though when her hands began to tremble, Meliodas took the hand closest to him. She turned to him, surprised when her hand was suddenly much warmer and he mouthed something to her that helped her remain strong.

 _We will get through this._

When the king's mount ended his call, he trudged a heavy head back down the ramp, followed by the others. Meliodas clung to Elizabeth's hand and Gilthunder supported the first princess, still wrecked with grief. Once they were down, Veronica called out, "Archers!"

Elizabeth squeaked, running from Meliodas to line up with the other archers while a squire came to light their oil soaked arrows. The Sin Captain smiled as she barely made it to the line before the squire had finished.

"Don your masks!" Veronica's voice bellowed out.

Diane glanced around curiously as many of the elves placed white masks over their faces, "King... why...?"

King was floating next to her, holding his sacred treasure point down to his side. He watched as another elf walked behind each archer, placing a decorative white mask laden with silver swirls on their faces. The archers' masks all had antlers like that of the noble moon stags. "Many elf traditions follow the Old Ways," the fairy king replied, keeping a close eye on which archer was Elizabeth. "The belief is that the living must hide their faces, so that the raven takes the fallen's soul, instead of theirs."

Diane made a face at that and smoothed her skirts discontentedly. An elf in a simple white mask that only covered his eyes who wore a holy knight's armor stepped up from the other side of her shrunken form. "M'lady, I assumed you may not have one... so I took the liberty..." He offered her a mask identical to his, "...my apologies if my presumptions offend."

"Are you _kidding!_ " The Serpent Sin exclaimed brightly, "this is great! Thank you!" Her fingers brushed his as she took it, causing King a frown and the knight a blush. This was the very same knight that had been eyeing her during the speeches!  
 _That pervert, he'd practically been ogling her!_ _…I should have gouged his eyes out when I had the chance..._

Diane put the mask on quickly and cleared her throat, trying to regain the proper composure just before Veronica called out her final farewells.

The queen held her fist up high in the elven knight salute, "King Baltra the Lion, beloved father. May the raven see you safe."

The archers fired their blazing arrows and the pyre, including the late father of three princesses, beloved king of the woodland elves, burst into a deafening symphony of fire. When elf kin would speak of the raging flames for centuries to come, they would speak of how that inferno took the shape of a mighty maned lion, flickering in yellow and orange glory—his roar loud and filled with elation, calling his pride to his people's strength.

Many of the Sins jumped as the archers began crying out in woops and hollers, dropping their bows in favor of dancing around the pyre in a surprisingly tribal way. Their boisterous cries were echoed by many other elves, and suddenly the solemn atmosphere became one of celebration.

Diane asked yet another question but it was to the knight next to her, instead of King still floating at her other side. "Wait... what the hell is going on now...?" The knight smiled brightly saying, "Now is when we celebrate the life of our mighty king, and wish him well." A twinkle could be seen in the eyes past his mask as he took her hands and pulled her out to dance with him. The Sin of Sloth froze in his astonishment of the knight's forwardness; Diane yelped with giddiness as the stranger brought her into a growing circle of raucous elves.

Merlin chuckled inwardly at the deadpanned face of her captain as he stared at a certain masked archer dancing in a feral manner with her peers. The only part of her head visible were the edges of her pointed ears and the long silver hair hanging down behind. Oh the captain was going to have to dig deep to make it through the night... Luscious pink lips graced her mouth with another sensual smile as she whispered to herself, "Let the celebration of life begin."

* * *

 **Now THAT's how you do a funeral.  
Just sayin...**

 **Lick? You luv da Lick?**

 **Offensive** **: I hope you enjoyed Ban's side of things! And yes, indeed, they are getting closer... just a liiiiittle more!  
** **BettyDearest** **: I believe a few of those questions were answered... hehe. But what of Guila and Jericho? And Gowther just... letting them go? Hmm. Hmm. Hmm...  
** **Stormie** **: Not just and demon? He's freakin Meliodas! Uber hunk demon man! COURSE he's not just "any demon!" :p And that's ALLLLL ure getting outta me. Hehehe!  
** **Pip** **! I have buckets for the tears! They are my salt licks—ERR I MEAN...** _ **fuuuuck...**_ **Um... I luv you? YEAH! I LOVE YOU!  
** **MyLuv** **: *hugs* I'll never tell, but I will hug you, and pet you, and call you Luv!  
** **Deamonik** **: THANKYOU! I was concerned about how to write Meli last chap. I'll never tell, and THE KITTIES MEWED AND PURRED! Kawaii! =^.^=  
** **Ruon jian** **: Elizabeth is in denial. How could she love a demon? Even her subconscious is trying to bang down those walls! I think it's a funny coincidence about the special request you put in last chappi... considering the turn this one just took! *nudge nudge*  
** **LazyTail** **: *Fans self* Woooooo! I need more wine!  
** **ScarletLovely** **: That was the second time he's mentioned proposal... what oh** _ **what**_ **will happen should there be a third time...?  
** **YummyLuna** **: I will I will! ^.^ Ty!  
** **DOM** **: Oh you... I think Meli's being filled with emotions right about now. CAN YOU IMAGINE!? Graceful elf version Elizabeth... dancing like FLUID WATER?! *puuuurrrrrrrr* AND HAWK IS STILL MISSING... and Diane's... ah ha ha... Occupied! XD**

 **The stage is set!**

 **Just for you  
Stay lovely!  
Seriphia aka Lick**

 **Be sure to check out what Pirate Ban is up to in the miniseries I started up!  
He's gonna be sorry he's not around to crash this party! XD**


	18. The Archer's Guild

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
** **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
** **3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
** **4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
** **5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
** **6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
** **7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
** **8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
** **9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **This chappie is dedicated to Double LSD!  
** **Which is a collab account of myself, Luv, Stormie and Dom.  
** **Feeling like you're not getting all that adult fun you've been longing for? Well look no further than Double LSD! XD With our heads combined, that account be feedin you some good old fashioned, home time fun! XD**

* * *

The Archer's Guild

It felt like another lifetime ago since Elizabeth danced with her fellow archers. Her peers took great pride in being the oldest guild in Liones. Even before the knighthood rose, there was the Archer's Guild. The dance they engaged in was a tradition that they clung to with great fervor. Many younger elves longed to take up a sword, but the third princess of Liones always felt more at home with the archers. Something about the powerful whistle of an arrow piercing the sky, the dexterity and balance it took to fire a longbow from any perspective. The general feeling of belonging, no matter where she came from...

Her body had become the fire she encircled. She willed the raven to carry her father far from the scorching flames even as she moved to its thunderous roar. Elizabeth was hard pressed to celebrate his life—she felt so sickeningly wrecked with guilt despite what the demon lord had told her.

That dear, sweet demon with eyes that always frolicked with mirth.

Twice now he has joked of proposing to her... perhaps the third time she should have a come back ready for him. Something that would give him hint to what her answer would be...

 _What would it be?_

She had no father to ask permission for her hand anymore. Would those responsibilities pass to Veronica? Or perhaps Margaret?

Celebration of life indeed. The raven had not even completed his journey and here she was dancing and wondering who a demon might ask for her hand...

Madness.

Elizabeth and her peers jumped all at once to the third beat of the drums to land near the earth, and called out on the fourth, straightening their spines just before while remaining low to the ground. Many others had begun to dance about the pyre as well, but only those of them with masks of the Stag kept to their original form. The archers set the fire ablaze, they would dance until the inferno reached its apex.

The Sin Captain watched the archers dance from right where Elizabeth had left him at the bottom of the pyre's steps at first, but as the group began encircling the fire, he'd moved his way closer to where King floated. Curious as to his comrade's forlorn look, he spared a glance away from his longed-legged princess to inquire.

King frowned, motioning to where Diane laughed and danced with an elf knight.

Meliodas blinked, "Isn't that cute! They even have matching masks. Gee King, sure looks like those two are a couple."

"Don't say such things Ca, Captain!" The fairy king spilled out far too quickly, "Diane and I... it's just a dance, it means nothing!"

"Is that what you think?" Meliodas folded his arms, raising and curious brow toward the Sin of Sloth clutching his beloved pillow in a stranglehold.

King merely grimaced, taking note of the genuine mirth Diane showed as she danced with the handsome knight. Suddenly he felt a sharp pang on the top of his head, and was sent crashing down to the ground, even with the soft Chastiefol, there was a small crater to mar the earth. King looked up to see Meliodas looking down at him in complete innocence even with his fist still raised from where he'd struck him. "Ca, Ca, Captain! What was that for!?"

The blonde lowered his arm and stuck his hands in his pockets again, turning his gaze back to the silver haired seductress dancing as though it wasn't the most alluring thing he'd seen in over a millennium. "Your Sin is just going to keep causing you more pain if you just let her get swept up by another."

King looked at him with his mouth agape for a moment, then turned back to Diane. "...You're right." His lips pressed together nervously, "but what do I do?"

Both the Sins looked on with intrigue as the moon stags began to join the dance as well, particularly the assumed mounts of the archers. The way the stags would swoop in and chime their antlers against their twins built on the huge masks the dancers wore added something more to the rhythm the drums gave. Those antlers on the archer's masks must have been made from some sort of brass polished to gleam silver. Meliodas smiled at the playful way Tay'moraad bounded in and out of Elizabeth's sinful weaving of the air and ground seamlessly.

"Use your imagination, King." Meliodas patted the fairy king's back, "she's not the Sin of Envy for nothing." Then the Sin captain did something that King would find hard pressed to forgive and pulled a rather stunning elf girl to the side with a handsome smile, "excuse me, Miss?"

The elf had long golden hair that she kept knotted up in a multitude of braids and fidgeted nervously under his attentions. Meliodas shoved an awkward King in front of her and said, "The Fairy King is grief stricken and in much need of a dance partner, would you show him the proper way to celebrate the life of mighty King Baltra?"

The elf smiled brightly at the sight of the much more known King of Fairy Kind, "Oh! You poor thing! Of course I will!"

Under King's sputterings and flushed, jerky motions, the lovely elf dressed in a light white dress substantially shorter than most of her kin pulled him into the mix to rejoice with her.

Meliodas folded his arms and smirked at the way King made a sorry attempt to drift along with the quick fluid motions his new partner moved with.

"Very clever, Captain..." A low chuckle of a voice sung out from behind him that could only belong to the most powerful mage in all of Britannia. "Now you must tell me, do you have a similar plan to gain the attentions of a certain silverette pointedly ignoring you?"

His eyes rounded innocently and he blinked at Merlin stepping up beside him, "Ignoring me huh?"

The painted lips of the mage curled into a smug smirk as she watched the silver hair behind the mask duck down to catch Tay'moraad's antlers again in a resonating chime. "I cannot see whether or not her eyes look to you, but I can see that what she is doing just so happens to be seducing you far better than even her voice had earlier. And that's saying something, for that woman's voice is certainly something."

Meliodas' brows furrowed slightly and returned his gaze to the masked archers, opting for silence. If Merlin was goading him, then he would not partake.

"That woman... is full of untapped power. Perhaps even equal to that of a Sin," her voice suddenly rang out in a musical laughter. "To think that she could have even put the mighty Dragon Sin to sleep with her little spell!"

"Why are you beating around the bush, Merlin? If there is something you want to know, just spit it out."

Merlin chuckled again, "Oh but Captain, don't you just love the play of words?"

The raised brow he gave her was answer enough.

"Hmm..." The mage kept her smile, but decided not to press him any further. "Just exactly what is the origin of drow elves? They must have something substantially similar to you for such a spell to have effected you right along with them."

Meliodas lazily cupped his hands behind his head and looked back up to the sultry mage, "Either that or I just decided to take a quick power nap."

"Of course Captain, of course..." She rested a well manicured hand onto a generous mound of hip and spoke lower, "and just one more thing... just what, oh what, do you know of Jack the Will o' Wisp...?"

Meliodas gave her a determined smile, "Well aren't we just as perspective as always?"

Merlin kept up that same smirk, "I find that one learns best by observing those around me at times..."

A hum escaped the Sin captain as the music came to a stop and the archers ended their dance in a low crouch with their heads lowered toward the pyre of dying flames; their partnered stags bowing gracefully next to them.

Every elf that wasn't an archer suddenly began crying out their applause to them in joyous wails and claps as the the dancers rose back up. Elizabeth immediately wrapped her arms around Tay'moraad, who nuzzled the back of her hair affectionately.

"You're going to have to brush up on your history lessons alone, Merlin—I'm going to be busy."

"Heh. Yes of course, Captain..."

The next thing Elizabeth saw through the eye holes of her large mask was a giddy Diane bubbling up next to her. "Oh Elizabeth! You've GOT to teach me how to dance like that! You looked so amazing! I want to look amazing too! Oh wow! I can't believe you can move like that!" She started poking the princess, making her squeak and jump back, "do you even _have_ bones?!"

A more suntanned hand rested above Diane's obtrusive fingers and Elizabeth trailed it up to a well known knight and dear friend to Sir Gilthunder. "Sir Hauser... I am glad that the Goddesses kept you safe during the battle yesterday."

The knight laughed, "Those drows and their dirty tactics had nothing on us!"

The princess' ears actually wilted at that, "I see..."

"Elizabeth?" Diane bent over to look through the antlered mask's eye holes.

"It's just that... I wish that we wouldn't take so much stock on the differences of woodland and drows... we are still all creatures of the Goddesses, after all."

Sir Hauser frowned, "Hmm... had they not attacked us, declaring their guilt of slaying our king, perhaps that may have been possible. However now, I think you would find that subject to be a fruitless endeavor." His eyes widened as he realized exactly who he was speaking to and visibly stood straighter, "err... Princess..."

The heat of the fire was burning down, and a few other archers were moving their masks onto their backs while guild apprentices moved to paint a few red lines on their cheeks and a longer stripe down their nose, lips, all the way down their chin. Elizabeth also rotated her mask to rest down her back and smiled awkwardly at the two of them before finding something to possibly make them back off, "Oh my, Harlequin is dancing with Lady Almiyah! What a lovely pair they make!"

Diane blinked at her, then turned her head to see King smiling shyly at the elf girl. The giantess puffed her cheeks and pulled Sir Hauser back toward the dancers beginning to pick up to a new beat the drums played. "Come on!"

In a ridiculous effort at bowing to his princess while being dragged away, Hauser yelped at the forceful way that he was being tugged. "Good to see you again, Princ—ack!"

Elizabeth giggled at Diane stomping to dance right next to an increasingly nervous fairy and his lovely partner as the small elf with a bowl of red paint came to her. "My, m'Lady...?"

The princess looked down and smiled warmly at the young apprentice and lowered down to one knee so that she might paint her face. The young elf smiled nervously and dragged shaky fingers to make jagged lines across her cheeks and a long line from the arch of her nose all the way down to her chin.

"Thank you, Lana." Elizabeth smiled.

The little elf's ears perked at the princess knowing her name and nodded, skipping off to another archer. Elizabeth giggled at the tiny girl's jubilant gait, only to abruptly cease at the handsome voice speaking next to her now.

"I stand by my earlier statement of weird customs, Elizabeth."

With eyes wider than she would have preferred, the silverette turned to see the Dragon Sin of Wrath kindly offering her a hand. Feeling a nervousness creeping up her spine that she had not felt since before she sang her father's wife's song for the kingdom, she accepted his hand. Sir Meliodas smiled contently and pulled her to her feet and looked up at her, quickly stuffing the other into his pocket. "So what now?"

A snort from Tay'moraad served to break their eye lock when Elizabeth turned to look to him. The stag lowered his eyes to her level and looked into them deeply. Meliodas watched curiously as Elizabeth shrank a little under the creature's scrutiny and she nodded, "My deepest apologies to you, dear friend." A slender hand raised to stroke his brow, "I shall not leave again without proper farewells."

Then the noble creature turned his gaze to Meliodas, who smiled and held his hands up submissively (having only just now released his hold on Elizabeth's hand), "I promise I won't whisk her away again without warning." The stag eyed him for a moment and finally turned to walk away, but practically missed a step when the knight added, "unless she asks me to."

Tay'moraad snorted without looking back at the two of them.

"Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth willed herself to calm, "how could I ever ask you to do such a thing after what I'd just told him!"

The Sin captain just shrugged, turning back to her and forcing his hands behind his back. "Beats me... you elf kind seem a little funny."

The princess looked at him through long lashes and turned her head slightly, her hair hanging down over a shoulder and curtaining a breast just begging to be squeezed, "Hardly words that should be spoken from a Sin trying to gain a dance."

Meliodas' eyebrows rose, his hands itching to grope her, bound only to the promise he'd made to himself not to fondle her during her grieving—which was becoming more and more difficult the more she smiled. "Is that what I'm here for? A dance?"

Brushing her hair behind her ear, Elizabeth grew a hint of a blush, "Is it not?"

"Nah," Meliodas offered his hand to her again, "I think you guessed it right on that red painted nose."

Elizabeth giggled as he pulled her out on the edge of the group that danced in so many different ways that is was clear that there was no right or wrong way to dance. Here, the beat of the drums lorded over them. The way the pair danced together could only best be described as when light consumed darkness, yet the darkness being far too stubborn to succumb to shadow. The third princess of Liones twirled in and out of his reach fluidly while ducking and swooping, as the dragon Sin would graze his limbs to continuously embrace her fleetingly, touching her sides and legs with lingering fingers every chance he could get. This was the same woman who tumbled down spilling plate after plate at the Boar Hat? Meliodas was so intrigued that he did not bother to hide the hunger in his eyes, nor the canines in his smirk. As for Elizabeth, she began to welcome the thought of what may happen if she allowed those strong arms to hold her longer than just the time of a beat of the drum. As their dance continued, the space between embraces became less and less until they were constantly in reach of each other with the Dragon Sin's eyes becoming overwhelmed by a smoldering dark shade of green.

As Veronica watched her sister brush her body near the demon she'd brought into their homeland, her hands gripped tightly into fists. She was taken by surprise when huge hands suddenly wrapped around one of hers, cupping them easily. Turning up to see her personal knight, Griamore, she couldn't contain her blush. He wore nothing but white shorts and an extremely wide necklace that could easily be mistaken for a chest piece. "Calm yourself, Princess—my queen..." he spoke in a deep baritone, befitting his broad build. "Your responsibilities are so much more than simply being the over protective sister you were this morning."

Smothering her dastardly blush by sheer will alone, she decided to pay him back for his comment, blush for blush, "I suppose I could go ahead and announce my Prince Consort now before word travels to Prince Hendrickson about an unwed queen on the throne."

Victory! The knight holding her previously trembling fist released it quicker than his face flushed a deep crimson, "That, that won't be necessary, my queen..."

As Elizabeth recognized the drums' current melody to be almost concluded, she raised both her arms straight up toward the stars and crossed them at her wrists. With her body close enough to her knight that her fair bosom brushed just below his collarbone, said bosom dragged against his body as she slowly turned her back to him. With the last two beats of the drums' song, she leaned back far enough to where Meliodas either had to catch her—or watch her fall.

Needless to say, the Dragon Sin of Wrath's hand claimed the small of her back, allowing her to arch down enough that her outstretched hands touched the grass below them to the very last beat of the drum.

There they stayed for a moment, Meliodas eyeing her heaving breasts like some sort of delectable treat, and Elizabeth laying down by only the strength of his hand, breathing heavily in an effort to gain her bearing.

Dancing with the demon had been... an experience unlike any other.

Many had given them space and stopped their own dance to admire the beauty to which fire and ice frolicked into more even temperatures. As the silence stretched, Meliodas bent forward more to whisper in a long ear that twitched at the feel of his breath, "That took a good degree of trust to lean back like that, Elizabeth."

And here she was doing so good keeping herself from blushing too...

As the drums carried on to a new, faster beat, Elizabeth turned her head toward Meliodas' face with a quickened heartbeat. She wanted to acknowledge that she trusted him, that he had held her secret and bore her grief right along with her and offered her comfort where anyone else would simply demand her to be strong. However, as she turned, so too did he, and they were caught in a nose to nose eye lock—and the knight that had promised to be hers never looked handsomer. Slowly licking his lips, Meliodas pulled her back upright just before Diane came bouncing up to her.

"Oh Elizabeth! That was gorgeous! How did you learn to dance like that! Ohmygosh I want to dance like that too!"

"Oh! Um... well, Lady Diane, it's not that difficult. You must just," her eyes fluttered back to the blonde mop of hair next to her, "have to move to the beat..."

Diane folded her arms petulantly, clearly unhappy with that answer, and muttered, "Says the girl who drops nearly ever plate of food she's ever given..."

Meliodas snapped his finger and pointed up at Diane with a half grin, "Ya know, I had thought the same thing!"

"Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth whined, wringing her hands together.

Both Sins shared a chuckle as King floated up, "You two shouldn't tease the princess right here in her own homeland!"

Diane rolled her eyes, "Oh look who finally decided to stop oogling the local girls!"

"Wha, what?!" The Grizzly Sin retorted hesitantly, "you were the one who l-let herself be dragged off by one of the locals!"

" _HA!_ " Diane complained, "I was just being nice! He gave me this great mask!" Though the fact that she'd said that last part through a fresh blush did not help her save face. "Hey..." Her brunette hair swayed from side to side as she looked about. "Where'd he go anyway...?"

"Umm..." King pressed two fingers together gingerly, "who knows with that guy..."

 ***flash of Hauser struggling to get down from two Chastiefol spears skewering his armor right at the over-sized shoulders holding him well above the ground of the far castle wall.***

"Well he's way better than that hussy that you were dancing with!" Diane hissed at him.

King fell back from the velocity of her words, "You, you, you say that now, now, Diane, but-but I doubt his in~tentions were pure!"

"Psssh..." Diane huffed, "like you'd know!"

Elizabeth and Meliodas watched Diane and King go back and forth for a moment until the knight decided to grasp Elizabeth's hand and pull her away. She went with him, but showed some reservations, "Sir, Sir Meliodas, shouldn't we defuse their argument...?"

"Oh I think getting a rise out of her may be just what King may have needed..." The Sin replied feeling rather happy with himself.

"I... don't understand—"

"No need to, not with them." He grinned at her and wiggled his fingers toward her, "now tell me about any other weird customs I can expect tonight."

Elizabeth withheld a chuckle a tad unsuccessfully, "Oh... well, we do not have many funerals/coronations... but I do believe all the customs have been properly met."

Meliodas pondered her words for a moment, cupping his chin thoughtfully, "So the princess Margaret and Little Gil wandering off together... they weren't being rebellious?"

A sweatdrop formed on her silver locks as her face slacked a pinch, "Well, no... not exactly..."

"Great!" Meliodas grinned brightly and took her hand, pulling her from the courtyard all together.

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh at Meliodas' forthrightness. Perhaps this celebration of life did help survivors through their grief. She stopped him once they breached the front gate and beckoned him to follow her, "This way. I am sure my comrades have already set up some sort of after get-together."

The Sin strode up next to her and blinked, "I thought we were your comrades."

She giggled at him again, leading him through low thickets. "My other comrades, you silly Sin!"

Meliodas smiled.

 _She is getting over her constant shyness pretty well today..._

It was nice.

Light shone past the next few patches of particularly thick hedges before Elizabeth finally had them hunch over the final bush, revealing a campfire of red striped elf faces all with antlered masks strapped to their backs. Some sitting near the fire, others dancing around it—but nearly all of them raised a glass to her arrival.

"Ho Izzy!" Several of them called.

A male elf stood and branded his face with a teasing smile when Meliodas stood straight from clearing the final thicket. "Woah, you brought an outsider, Izzy?"

"...Izzy?" The Sin inquired quietly.

"Oh calm yourself, Arton." Elizabeth murmured. "Sir Meliodas has promised to be my knight, and so he goes where I go."

Typically seeing a personal knight as not too far off from husband as the pattern for princesses these days, her peers mostly snickered and whooped at her words, and hushed only when their guild leader stood from his spot at the edge of the fire. Eyes turned to him as he made a stately walk to the princess and knight. He wore red armor with only a white tabard proclaiming his grief over his lost king. Though Meliodas could only guess, the archer's guild leader was the reason they used red paint. It was also noteworthy that he was the only one in the makeshift camp that not only had a quiver on his back, but also a sturdy looking long sword.

Elizabeth squeezed Meliodas' hand as the tall guild leader stood before them and bent over to look into Meliodas' eyes. Both pairs of eyes were aged with long lived wisdom, but it could not be helped that the demon lord's were much more so.

As the Dragon Sin stared back at him, eye for eye, Elizabeth's ears began to wilt as she murmured worriedly, "Ma... Master Dreyfus?"

Without any warning, both Sin and master archer cracked a smile and Dreyfus arched himself backwards to bellow out a bark of a laugh. Many archers, Elizabeth included, looked on curiously until his laughter subsided. When Dreyfus' gaze fell on Meliodas again, he stooped down for a bowl of red paint abandoned on a large sitting stone.

At the immediate sound of disapproval coming from several elves in the vicinity, Dreyfus turned a look on them that by all rights should have turned them to stone. As it stood, it certainly silenced them as though it had.

"You all heard young Izzy." Dreyfus' voice had lost all its mirth as his stern glare swept the camp, not concerned by who had complained, but only that they all hear him now. "Or have you all forgotten to support your sister in the path she chooses?"

A few murmurs and mumbles were heard from those who'd voiced complaints, but all it took was the rise of a thick and infinitely more stubborn eyebrow to make everyone before him sit up a little straighter.

"No sir!" Resounded from the voices of all near the fire.

The guild master harrumphed at his crew and turned back around to the two who'd just arrived. He passed Elizabeth a fatherly smile before dipping his first two fingers into the red paint. "You said his name was Meliodas?"

"Um... yes sir. Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, Dragon Sin of Wrath, Sir Meliodas."

Dreyfus looked back down at the shorter blonde with a crack of humor to the line his lips changed to when he turned from Elizabeth. "That's quite the title for such a little guy."

Meliodas gave him a grin and stood on his toes with his hands on his hips, "I'm not so little once you get to know me."

Elizabeth coughed out what could have been a nervous laugh as Dreyfus chuckled, "No, I suppose you wouldn't be. Close your eyes for a moment, knight."

The Sin complied, and all present watched as the archer guild master dragged his two painted fingers down Meliodas' brows, past his eyes and down to his jaw.

As Dreyfus began to speak, Elizabeth whispered to Meliodas, "Keep your eyes closed for a moment, that stuff burns like crazy!"

"It's been awhile since one of our rank has needed a knight to stay by their side, but believe it or not, our little Izzy here is a princess." He paused for the low laughter that followed, "and as such, it is about damn time she chose one for herself. So I expect you all to treat him as you would anyone else here."

"Aye"

"Aye!"

"That's Master talk for try and run'em off!"

"Ahahahahahahaha!"

Elizabeth curled both her arms around his closest limb and tugged gently, signaling him that it was safe to open his eyes. What he saw now was just as it was before they'd arrived. A few of the elves dancing around the fire, others joshing around on logs, grass and sitting stones. The princess led him to a log for themselves and released him to seat herself. Meliodas looked at her for a moment, and she tilted her head back at him with a smile.

Before either said anything, the first archer who'd called Meliodas an outsider stepped forward with three glasses. Arton nodded to the both of them, his long blue hair draping over a shoulder despite the band he kept on his forehead. "Apologies, Sir Knight." He kindly offered Meliodas a glass, then Elizabeth. "We are all a bit overprotective of our Izzy here... and I over reacted. You did not deserve such treatment."

This was why Elizabeth had found a home with the archers to begin with. They did not hold stock in birth or pedigree. The archer's guild knew the person, and nothing else.

Arton lifted his glass and nodded to them both, "To new brothers."

Meliodas nodded and raised his glass as well, "To journeys ahead."

Elizabeth raised her glass last, "To the raven's flight."

The three of them drank deep the strong, sweet liquor of Dreyfus' own brew. The warm sensation sliding down their throats to delve heat into them over the chill of the night. Meliodas made sure to drink every last drop for reasons more than simply it being a new liquor that even he in his many, many years had not tried.

He drank for the toast a stranger had just given him. For no more reason than his growing connection to the princess next to him, an entire band had just accepted him. Acceptance had not been something he, a demon of old garnered very often—and certainly not this easily.

And he would not soon forget it.

* * *

 **Hiiiiii guys! I missed you so so so so so sosososososooooo much! Lemme lick ya! Hold still! WAHAHA! Gotcha! *Lick* Now hold still or Imma gonna lick ure eyeball! =^.^=**

 **My friends! HELP! My Ban bonus chappies are not getting the luv I'd hoped it'd get! Any suggestions? I'm super proud of it... could it be true that there just aren't enough people that are crazy about super sexy, foxy Ban like me to bother reading it? O_O;; He's doing important stuff _damnit!_ At this point I wonder if I even should have bothered and just left his exploits a mystery until it came up later here in the main story. Damn T-rated readers got no appreciation I tell ya... *grumble grumble* **

**Btw, large shout out to those few of you who DO share the luv. *poke poke* You know who you are.**

 **Okay, sorry you suffered through a bit of Licky neediness, but well... I rant every now and then. On with what you were waiting for!**

 **Luv licky~ness and her neediness cuz of her newfound dependent~ness.  
** _(I'll FORCE it to rhyme DAMNIT!)_

 **KtKatana** **: Omg... *reads commandments with new stipulations* You're right! You're right! I NEED BOOZE! (thanx Katana! This'll be fun! :3 )  
** **Stormie : Meli's being a freakin SAINT thank you very much! *ignoring the dance they shared that heated up both both their blood before the rush of Diane and King arguing*  
**… **...A SAINT! LUV YOU!  
** **BettyDearest : Ikr! I put a lotta stock into that little scene, I LUV that you commented on it! That connection you mentioned, it's beginning to bother Merlin too. Sin of Gluttony is hunting for the same answer you want! And as for Gowther... weeeeell, I'm just gonna leave that be. *cheeky grin*  
** **Guest** **: Adult fun? Whaddya think this— *eyes the huge RATED M hovering in the corner* Oh... hmm. Yea... we may need a few chaperons...  
** **DomUnderTheGuiseOfGuest** **: Lookit you tryin to brew trouble! Dudes like... over 3000 years old! Surely he's gotten past those little insecurities by now right? ...Right? LUV YA GURL!  
** **Ruon** **: The moon stags! Omg, I'm so gonna include the moon stags in original work I write to actually pay the bills so they stop going :blink blink:! XD! I LUV that you loved them! I lick you much and for long time! Hauser? Uhhh... who's Hauser...? Whaaaaat are you talkin about... o.o;;  
** **I loved your review, never stop! You make writers grin inside and out (AS DO THE REST OF YOU! Now dun be getting jealous... I've never told this reader that b4 and Ruon deserved to hear it too!)  
** **MyLuv** **: Oh Luv... you contradict yourself with only a para between. There you say "she belongs only with King," yet if you glance just an intsy** ** _weensy_ bit farther, you say: You do not mind HauserxDiane. Mmmhmm. I do believe I may have gotten at least a liiiiittle bit of a rise out of you, you however are too stuck on the no let Licky win to admit it. *smiles dashingly*  
** **ScarletLovely** **: Omg, surely Meliodas has more tact than that! OH MAN how many ways can a queen gut a demon... shall we count the ways? XD Not that she'd be able to, but she'd damn well try! *laughing hysterically then suddenly flips channels to total seriousness* We ain't doin that... Ahem, Awww! I was your bedtime story again!? Yay! Let me lick you to sleep, dun worry, ure Licky is here.  
** **Deamonik** **: Done. Decided. I like that. A person from my own heart! I love you so much Dea, but I am having a hard time manipulating your name into something sweet and lickable just for me! My creativity is all used up! O.O OH NO! *lick lick lick*  
** **Foxes &Flowers** **: Yaaaaay! I luv excited! Can I be excited with you! *bounces up and down* Please oh please!**

 **Now THAT's luv.  
** **Thank you so much you guys  
** **I could never have gone this long  
** **without your love and support  
** **no matter how much I love writing.  
** **Sad... but true.**

 **Seriphia  
** **aka Lick  
** **All for you my lovelies.**

 ***~.✨.~***


	19. A Moonlit Confession

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
** **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
** **3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
** **4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
** **5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
** **6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
** **7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
** **8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
** **9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

* * *

A Moonlit Confession

Servants ducked as a large, decorated chair soared across the large audience chamber to shatter in wooden fragments against the stone wall. The room vibrated with the frustrated wail of rage that came from their prince as he flipped a long table onto its side only to raise a foot up to his head to slam it back down onto the marble surface in a furious drop kick. Dust and large pieces of smoothed rock flew everywhere.

How could his father have been so stupid? All his plans...

Had they just kept playing nice, then he still may have been able to procure the Tay'daishar from the naive new queen—but no. His idiot of a father only saw a long rivaled kingdom weakened from their loss of The Lion and sent their soldiers to attack and conquer.

Hendrickson should have slipped dragonsbane into his father's tea long ago...

What's worse is that the king sent Guila to lead the invading forces! Guila was _his_ subordinate, _not_ his father's, and now she was missing in action. All efforts to retrieve her ending with a ruined, empty cell.

"RrrrrrrrrrRRAAAAAGHHHHHH!"

Another chair went flying through the air, splintering against a stone column.

This could still be fixed. He just needed to brandish a new piece to play.

A smile crept back onto his face that only served to make the servants on standby all the more wary.

"Hahaha..." Hendrickson walked over to a smaller table piled high with reports. There he rifled through them and lifted up a profile with a sketching of the Sin of Wrath attached neatly, "know thy enemy..."

^.~

At Merlin's behest, Gowther had been more than happy to skip the odd funeral processions on the ground floor for the much preferred library atmosphere. Finding it rather odd to feel a draft in such a room, he followed it. Such a simple task that had required no calculations at all. It had been rather dull actually.

He tilted his head to the side as the soft, ever so soft breeze was met at its source. Hmm, a dusty bookshelf. How predictable... a secret door in an old castle.

Running a finger over the dusty spines, he stopped at one that did not budge under his light stroke. Being careful not to break it, he tried maneuvering it in several different ways until he discovered the only way the latch in the guise of a book moved. Upon hearing a successful clicking sound, Gowther stepped back and waited expectantly for the shelf to move.

As the faux wall shifted, Gowther decided people would tend to express their excitement at such a discovery. So as he walked into the stale air of a room practically never used, he said clearly in a single, pristine note:

"Wheeeeeeeeeeee."

^.~

With hair the same shade as the stars watching over them, Elizabeth laughed at her friends' effort to cheer her up. She could see the condolences in their hearts as they carried on the light and cheery atmosphere and loved them for it.

The princess' head was swimming by the time archers began to disperse, slowly filtering out to find their beds. When she reached her arms up and stretched, she also stretched her legs.

And squealed when she began to fall backwards off the log she'd sat on for the last hour.

Meliodas caught her by the small of her back, stopping her fall abruptly—though for a moment her head still felt like it was falling. He was watching her with a soft smile on his lips while Elizabeth's mind caught up with the rest of her. Her eyes widened as her vision cleared and realized that his arm had come to her rescue. "Oh! Sir, Sir Meliodas...! Um... thank you!"

He chuckled and helped her sit back up, and she was very aware of the arm he kept on her back. It felt warm. Elizabeth was also very keen to noticing how close they were to being alone as well. Fortunately, Master Dreyfus' brew was keeping the typical awkwardness of the situation at bay; but as though her thoughts of being _almost_ alone had called their attention, the twin elves Lara and Aral walked up with their long time friend Gus, tagging along behind them.

The brother and sister prided themselves in being trouble makers, and called out at once, "Ooooooo!"

"Looks like Izzy is gonna need a chaperon!" Lara goaded, hopping around far too fast for the elf who had been sitting this whole time she'd shared drinks with Meliodas to get a grip on.

"We could always ditch Gus here with them!" Aral grinned, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at his friend.

"No way! I'm goin to bed! Master's got us training early in the morning!"

Lara's young girlish face was completely in Elizabeth's, leaning toward her obtrusively, "Wooooow, are you gonna go down a rabbit hole, Izzy? You look like you're on a different plane of exsistance!"

"A... rabbit hole?" Elizabeth stuttered.

As Aral snickered, Meliodas stood up and grinned, "So the guild master has you running drills tomorrow?"

Lara turned to look at him as Gus' ears wilted, "Yea... it's pretty brutal."

"Aww, it's not so bad!" Aral slung an arm around Gus' shoulders, "just gotta hang in there! Our apprenticeship is almost done!"

"Yea!" Lara beamed, hopping up and down, "then we can go out traveling like Izzy!"

"Like me?" Elizabeth began forming a medium sized sweatdrop.

Lara turned back to her, "Well yea," she clasped her hands together dreamily and twirled into the princess' arms, having far too much faith in Elizabeth's ability to catch her currently. "I can't wait to meet a handsome knight like yours!"

Both Aral and Gus groaned while Elizabeth blushed.

"Psssst!" Lara twisted in Elizabeth's arms in a sorry attempt at a whisper that everyone heard. "He's totally the sexiest thing ever! With that cute nose and tight ass!"

"La-La-Lara!" Elizabeth started, pushing the elf off of her lap, "you are not even one hundred and you are thinking of men...?"

Lara looked Meliodas up and down generously, "Maybe a little."

"Okaaay..." Aral began guiding his sister away, "you two old fogies don't go and do anything crazy! I think I need to get Lightweight here home!"

Gus breathed a sigh of relief while digging a hand through his short and shaggy hair, " _Finally."_

Aral looked back at Elizabeth still perched on the log with Meliodas standing near her, watching them leave. His face showed a lingering sense of caring concern. "Take care, Izzy."

The princess smiled back at him, hoping the red on her cheeks was diminishing. Not likely... with Master Dreyfus' brew cooking inside of her. Together they listened to the twin's light toned bickering and more of Gus' groans as they noisily shuffled out of the thickets surrounding the clearing.

Slipping his hands back into his pockets, Meliodas smirked, "Interesting bunch of people in your guild, Elizabeth. Pretty different than the guys I've seen around the castle."

Considering the stark contrast between the castle's typical stuffy atmosphere and an archer's camaraderie gave Elizabeth a sudden case of the giggles. She looked at him and pressed her lips together, growing red faced at first—trying to hold it in, but her efforts were futile.

"Ahhahahaha! They really are!" She burst out laughing, looked at Meliodas again, then began laughing more, clutching her sides. When she made the poor choice of kicking her legs up in her fit; she once again caused herself to fall backwards. This time, the sly demon reached for her flailing arms but _accidentally_ only managed to graze her fingers; this also causing him to fall over (he even had the good graces to do the widening of the eyes and what not) the log, barely managing to catch himself right on top of her.

Well isn't that nice? And what was the first thing our giggling princess thinks of when he stumbles right on top of her?

 _It's just like the morning we shared when he was deviously in nothing but his birthday suit!_

As his face fell into her breasts, she laughed again with renewed, alcohol enhanced vigor. Her chest moved up and down with her breaths and now she had a demon stuck in between them.

For some _crazy_ reason... it was the funniest thing in the world!

"Hey, hey, hey, Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth said between laughs, beginning to dig her hands into his hair, "member how you were in between my legs the first time we met? Hahaha! We must stop meeting like this!"

Meliodas lifted up his head, snaking his arms under her shoulders to drag himself over her a tad more so he could look her in her multicolored eyes, "Why stop a good thing?"

Elizabeth let out a rather unladylike snort of a snicker, not even noticing the way the Sin above her was watching her. Having to remove one hand from his sandy colored hair to cover her mouth, soon brought her attention back to the other still holding what was now a grip of it. "Your hair is so much rougher than mine. No... rough isn't the right word. Hmmm..."

The chuckle he let out as she was contemplating several different words in her (supposedly) large vocabulary, bore as a rather sobering reminder of how his chest was mushed against hers. Her eyes flickered down, noticing the hook closing her tunic straining under the added weight—then completely against her will, also noticed that his loosely buttoned shirt did not leave much to the imagination at her current perspective.

"Elizabeth?"

Red cheeks grew slightly darker as the princess remained in Eye Candy Paradise.

"...Izzy?"

"Mmm?" She looked back up at him then. Clearly the woman was still in archer mode.

The pleased smile he produced when their eyes met brought him to hum. "I think I'll make sure to call you Izzy when we find ourselves in... intimate situations like this..."

"Intima—COARSE!" She smiled triumphantly, pulling at his hair harder than she would have intended to, had she been sober. "Your hair is much more _coarse_ than mine!"

Meliodas hissed at the tug the elf gave, a chill running down his spine. "Oh Izzy—what did I tell you about poking the bear..."

A pale hand lifted to his cheek, making the Sin captain admire how long the lashes that framed her eyes were as she said matter-of-factly, "Oh Sir Meliodas. I said your hair was coarse, not like a bear's!"

The blonde stared at her for a moment and wondered how much thicker he should lay it on before he finally sighed through his nose, leaning into her hand. "Alright Izzy. Up and at'em. Company's comin."

Her eyes widened as Meliodas raised himself up, quickly pulling her to her feet as well. "Company?"

Sliding both his hands around her back and stepping extremely close to her, he spoke softly. "I enjoyed our dance tonight."

Elizabeth began to wonder how it was that one man could smell so wonderful. Hell, how could she smell when she could hardly breath? Sir Meliodas was stopping more than her heart, "I... I did too..."

Those hands of his slipped down her back and over the blessed slopes of elven rear, halting at joining of cheek and thigh to grip firmly. He smiled up at her, pulling her lower half against his, "That's great!"

A flush crept up her face, but she managed to timidly place her hands onto his shoulders and return his gaze. "...Sir Meliodas, I—"

"Shhh..." Slowly, very slowly, warm hands slithered from behind her to her hips. From there they lifted up to her elbows to slide to her hands. Not once did he look away from her eyes as he took her hands into his and brought them to his lips. Those ageless pools of green finally broke from her one visible blue as he closed them to plant a kiss on one hand, then the other. The whimper he heard her make was most rewarding indeed.

It was the only sound in the entire forest other than the sudden sound of rustling coming from the bushes behind them. When Elizabeth looked over her shoulder, she could see an over-sized pink snout sniffing through a thicket just before a leery pig leapt from the greenery.

"AHA! Caught you, you dirty little..." Hawk trailed off when all he saw were the two of them holding hands like well chaperoned teenagers.

"Sir Hawk!" Elizabeth squealed, abandoning Meliodas' now lonely hands to blanket the side of bacon with her body. "Oh my goodness! Sir Meliodas! _His_ hair is coarse! Not yours!"

"You hear that Hawk?" Meliodas smirked, "my hair is softer than yours."

"Huh?" He shook his head, he could smell the alcohol and chalked it up to drunk talk. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Mama and I really shook our tails to get here! Are you okay? What can I do?"

"Mmmmm..." Elizabeth gave Meliodas a surprisingly sly look and pointed to him, "Tell me what his hair is like!"

The pig's sweatdrop threatened to get Elizabeth wet as he deadpanned. "Uhhhh... stinky feet?"

To the sound of Elizabeth having a riot, Meliodas' eyes lowered into straight lines and said, "I was wondering when my pork chop dinner would finally get here."

"Eeeeek! Elizabeth! Make him stoooop!"

Elizabeth buried her face as deep as she could in Hawk's fur, "Mmmmm... pork chops..."

Hawk began to turn a shade of blue, "Erk..." as he found himself frozen in cold fear.

Meliodas chuckled, "It would seem the master archer brews some pretty potent stuff, Hawk. Elizabeth is a little too hmm, happy to defend you like you like."

"Giddiyap piggy!" The princess sung happily, climbing onto his back. "Take us home!"

"What did you do to her, Meliodas!?"

The Sin captain held his hands up with another chuckle brewing from within as Elizabeth pointed into the woods, "Home, mighty talking piggy! Go!"

Hawk streamed tears of pure awkwardness, "To the castle... Elizabeth?"

The elf girl paused, appearing confused. Then she crawled over to look at Hawk's face upside down from on top of him, "No Sir Hawk. I said home, to the Boar Hat."

Those words pleased Meliodas to no end. He half squatted, stretching a leg, "I'll race ya!"

"No way, Meliodas!" Hawk oinked indignantly at the same time Elizabeth righted herself on the pig's back and bounced, "Hurry Sir Hawk! We mustn't let the dastardly Sin captain win!"

She tugged on his ears, sending Hawk turning and dashing through the thicket in an all out run as Meliodas tilted his head with an intrigued smile, "Dastardly, huh?"

As Hawk ran, his competitive side got the best of him and he grew more confident the longer he ran. "Maybe we _can_ beat him, Elizabeth! He doesn't know where Mama set up the Boar Hat like I do! Yea!"

"Wheeeeeeee!" Elizabeth sat up and spread her arms out like she was flying.

"Eeeeek! Elizabeth! Don't do that!" Hawk began faltering from the elf squeezing his sides with her legs. The princess' legs were surprisingly strong! "You're squeezing the pig outta the blanket!"

Before Hawk could even comprehend that her legs' death grip was no longer a problem, Meliodas swooped in and stole the woman right off of his back and was out of sight. It was Elizabeth's turn to, "Eeeek!" However when you try to squeal like a damsel when consumed with laughter, it doesn't come off very effective.

Meliodas held her bridal style as the forest sped past them. So fast that Elizabeth's head was spinning by the time they made it to the outskirts of the village where the Boar Hat now sat.

Once the princess was finally able to discern where they were when the knight slowed, she gaped, "Sir Meliodas! No fair! Sir Hawk said that you didn't know where it was!" She playfully tugged at his not-so-coarse hair and feigned upset. "Sir Hawk was supposed to win!"

He simply laughed and walked them both inside the dark pub. She could hardly see the glint in his eyes as he said, "No one wins except me when I'm called dastardly, Elizabeth."

Her arms felt very comfortable wrapped around his neck and she kicked her legs happily, correcting him, "Izzy."

This brought Meliodas to clutch her much tighter and lean his forehead against hers, "Izzy."

Their sudden closeness made Elizabeth's heart flutter and stop all at once, negating a general rule of physics that a moving object cannot be immobile. Nonetheless, that was how it felt. She pressed her lips together, her laughter only evident by her heaving chest and merry eyes. "I want to play hide and seek, Sir Meliodas!"

He blinked curiously, "You do?" This woman's mind must be bouncing around everywhere tonight!

"Mmhmm!" Elizabeth smiled and pulled herself out of his arms, clasping her hands behind her back. She found herself proud of how well she could stand. Master's drink had nothing on her! Ha! "You must count to fifty!"

Meliodas grinned and folded his arms, "What do I get when I find you?"

"IF you find me—" She found herself growing dizzy...

"WHEN I find you."

Elizabeth giggled. " _If you_ find me, I suppose a dastardly knight such as yourself would try to steal a kiss."

The knight's eyes widened, _She must be more drunk than I thought._

"Close your eyes!" Elizabeth didn't wait to see if he complied before she sprinted upstairs.

 _She does keep calling me dastardly...  
_ Meliodas was torn. She'd never spoke of kissing before, and to mention it so boldly... Could he trust himself if he got a taste of her...? "Hmmm..."

When he turned around and began counting, Elizabeth peeked back down at him from the staircase and sneaked back down. Holding in her giggles at her own genius, she tiptoed behind the counter and into the kitchen.  
 _He'll never find me here!_

She opened a large pantry and moved a few things to the side and climbed up onto the shelf, hugging her legs. As she waited for Meliodas to finish counting, she thought to herself, _It's warm in here._

"Fifty. Here I come, Elizabeth..." Meliodas whispered, finding himself more excited than he may have ever been to play a child's game. She was giving him permission to kiss her... right? Should he refrain because of her lack of sobriety, or would that... disappoint her?

He didn't want to disappoint her. Quite the contrary. The Sin of Wrath found himself extremely at odds with himself. Just the thought of pressing up against her, feeling her mouth opening to give him access... the tingle running up his spine was something he didn't think he ever wanted to become accustomed to...

Feeling out her aura was a simple matter. Tricky little elf had hid in the kitchen. A little something called lust leached into him and boiled his blood as he stepped behind the bar, his feet taking him onto the tiled floor of the kitchen. Dark green eyes rested on the pantry door, and hungry hands twitched as his legs walked him to the doorknob.

Slowly opening the pantry revealed the beautiful elven princess curled up on a shelf.

Eyes closed... and breathing gently.

She fell asleep...

… _.she's... sleeping.  
_ Meliodas couldn't help but feel a sharp twinge of disappointment. The heat within him had built up a much higher climax than simply finding a passed out silverette.

Good thing her species was long lived too. No need to rush something this important.

Those were a few of the things he told himself, anyway, as he pulled her from the pantry, once again holding her in his arms. Listening to her murmur in her sleep, he decided to take his prize despite her lack of consciousness and whispered to her softly.

"I love you, Elizabeth." He smiled down at her closed eyes, "...Izzy." Then, Meliodas, captain of the Seven Deadly Sins kissed her lightly on the corner of her lips. Right in the exact spot he'd stolen their first kiss—what seemed another lifetime ago.

As he walked her out from behind the bar and up the stairs, feeling a million tons lighter having gotten that off his chest, a pair of beady eyes watched him from the doorway. For once the pig hesitated before running to interrupt Meliodas' moment with the princess. Hawk had never heard Meliodas say those words before. He could say a lot of things about the Dragon Sin: sarcastic, annoying, lecherous... cannibalistic... the list went on, but he wasn't a liar.

Didn't mean he wasn't gonna tie him up, though.  
...Just meant he'd have to fasten those ropes extra tight.

* * *

 **First and foremost...**

 **HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY STORMIE! I thought about cha while writing all the FLUFF! Hehehehe... maybe you'll get sumthin more by next year! XD  
** **heh heh heh...**

 **On with da lickings!**

 **Yojimbo** **: Me lick u back long time! YAY!  
** **BettyDearest** **: I wonder if Hauser managed to get down... o.o;; Jack?** ** _Jack?_ Oh come on dear, dear Betty! Jack's just a _legend!_ Pay it no mind! XD I'm diggin the archer's guild. We may see them again some time. ^.^  
** **Lecka** **: Your English is great Lecka-chan! I'm SO happy you're enjoying it! I really enjoyed reading your reviews! You speak Portuguese? That's awesome!  
** **FoxFireFlower** **: Everyone's wondering what's goin on with King and Diane... but no one but the two of them know exactly what. *grins innocently* 1000 licks? o.o A whole** ** _grand?_ Whoo! *fans self in a daze* This must be heaven!  
** **Stormie** **:Talk dirty to me moooar birthday gurl... I'm likin the Licky-bae. *purr* Ure southern blood made MY blood up a boil. You, you you... gaaah. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STORMIE~BAE! Me, myself and I all luv you!  
** **PippElulu** **: I'm luvin all these weird customs! *gives Elulu a puppy* For you! So that you may enjoy much lickings between mine and my Luv's chappies!  
** **MyLuv** **: Hahaha! With friends like the capt, King doesn't need enemies! Jack? o.o Who's Jack? I love making King and Diane argue, it's so much fun! XD Can you imagine how SCREWED King would be if Diane was pregnant with his child! Prego Sin of Envy?! O.O;;  
** **NoMnOmDom** **: Ure as bad as Stormie! XD Talk dirty to me MOAR! First you say u wanna eat me up, then in the next comment you say ure hungry! GAH! And yes... the dance was great, I enjoyed it thoroughly to Static X's Cold.  
** **DeaLove(Deamonik)** **: There's a name for ya then! MUCH LUV FOR BAN! YAAAAAS! Meli couldn't help but get a lil handsy after meeting Dreyfus and his liquor. Hehe. Oh, OH! And aren't goldfish the ones rumored to have the memory span of a whopping 3 seconds? Woooo! Dun worry DeaLove, we'll get back to Camalot eventually.  
** **Wind-upGod** **: Damn but your user name is hilarious! Hahaha! Ahem... Well, Izzy was certainly a bit out of character today, nonetheless—I wish I could get her drinkin all the time. So FUN! *winds up God toy to watch it go* Yaaaaay! Can I take you home with me? I like toys. o.o  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: I do not have instagram, the four of us are on the free chat app Line though. It's great! Pm me should you ever download it and we'll chat! ^.^ AND a second season would be great! I wanna see more BAN! *swoones and swishes fox fail*  
** **Jaystar** **: Thank you! I appreciate that! Cheers to new friends!**

 **Almost got to my lucky number 13! Ah well, maybe next time. I tend to do a lil extra character dialogue at the very bottom of a chappie when I get 13+ comments. :D**

 **Be sure to brush up on what Ban's been up to in  
** **The Adventures of Pirate Captain Ban** **!  
** **His journey is reaching its climax and I'm  
** **sure he won't bother to tell everyone all the  
** **dirty details of whatever new toys he's procured  
** **(or his newfound ability of fourth wall breakage...)**

 **Just for you my lovelies!  
** **Thank you so much for ure support!  
** **㈳3Seriphia aka Lick㈵9**


	20. The Siren's Call

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!  
** **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
** **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
** **3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
** **4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
** **5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
** **6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
** **7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
** **8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
** **9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **(props to the Dom, who helped me while I mulled over what the title of this chappie was gonna be. *grin*)**

The Siren's Call

A mass of star colored hair rolled over on the bed with a moan resembling that of the undead. What was with all the noise downstairs? The sun coming from the large window was quickly becoming a most hated enemy as it managed to pierce even the blanket she held over her head.

Surely it was the light and the racket downstairs that made said head pound as though a stampede of stags were running a muck in there.

The more she tried to ignore it, the more impossible it became. Finally, she grimaced and sat up. Elizabeth looked around curiously. When had she gotten home? Last thing she recalled was being at her guild's gathering in the woods.

She'd taken Sir Meliodas with her.

 _Wait... the Boar Hat is here? Where am I?_

Against the constant rattling of brains thumping within her skull's protests, she rose out of the bed. Elizabeth discovered with discontent that she still wore the white tunic and pants she'd donned yesterday. White was for mourning... Her ears wilted as she nibbled her lower lip.

 _I must have helped myself to Master Dreyfus' drink last night._

Mystery of her headache solved... now what was she to do about it?

Noticing the new door in Sir Meliodas' room, she decided to explore. Lady Diane had been rather adamant on getting a bathroom installed—and a soak would very likely help her head to stop throbbing. Her feet padded across the room and right as she put a hand to the doorknob, the other door leading out of the room opened.

"Oh great! You're up! How're ya feelin?"

At the sound of the Dragon Sin's familiar voice, Elizabeth turned around and put her hands behind her back, blushing like she'd been caught in the cookie jar. She hadn't been snooping! "Sir... Sir Meliodas!"

He smiled at her with a bundle of clothes in his arms, patiently waiting for her to answer his question.

Elizabeth watched him with her hands wringing her fingers from behind, not really registering his inquiry about her well-being. Her ears perked up curiously at what he was holding, however, "Wha, what are those?"

"Oh these?" Meliodas walked over and set the clothes down on the rumbled sheets of the bed. "That one girl... with the twin brother? When she heard that you'd slept here instead of the palace, she came back with some white stuff for you to wear." He turned back to her, slipping his hands back in his pockets, "those guys seem to take care of ya pretty good." Growing a sly grin, the Sin continued, "you sure you aren't spoiled?"

The princess puffed out her cheeks as one of her ears twitched at the accusation, "The archers guild take care of each other, and I'm sure that—" She paused as realization slowly hit her as she stared at the gentle smile the blonde before her had melted back into. "Twin...? You mean," she frowned worriedly as she continued, her head suddenly feeling ten times worse. "Lara brought these clothes?"

A blonde brow slowly rose as Meliodas looked on at her distraught face curiously, humming, "Mmmhmm."

Elizabeth groaned and walked over to the bundle he'd set down. Anyone but Meliodas would have stepped back to give her space—but he just watched her squeeze between him and the bed with a crooked grin.

When she started exploring the clothes however, he craned his neck over to watch as well. He considered himself as one to have a great eye for women's clothes.

The elven princess had reason to worry. The younger generation of elves were trying to set a new trend to elven gear and it was not one Elizabeth fully agreed with. Meliodas whistled a low pitched note at the first thing she lifted up. A white top that resembled a fairly modest bikini made of thick hide instead of soft fabric. It came with the typical bracers made of the same fabric as well as a triangular collar to go around the neck.

She sighed, setting it down and lifting the bottom part of the outfit. Its waist was a bigger version of the collar, and it had a thinner type of fabric trailing down under it on both the front and the back to about her knees. Most of her hip would be exposed.

"I like it." Sung the voice of the knight behind her, now with his arms folded and sporting a rather cock-faced grin.

Elizabeth's ears were completely wilted and her face swollen in a pouty chibi form, "Master Dreyfus really shouldn't have had the Amazonian tribe come speak with the young archers a few years back..." When her people saw their archer princess dressed up like this, the fashion would really hit the top of many elves' priority list.

Which had probably been Lara's end game, now that she thought of it.

She gasped as Meliodas brought his hands out from behind her and latched both of them onto her breasts. "I think that top is just about the right size. You're gonna look great!"

Elizabeth blushed wildly, watching his hands work her over, "Sir, Sir Meliodas!"

Continuing to squeeze her, he stood up on his toes and purred in a sensitive ear, "Yeees?"

The blush she had on her face could not be beaten down, "I should get dressed!"

His hands paused in his massaging but stayed where they were and he asked, "Need any help?"

Her eyes widened, the red on her face growing brighter instead of being banished as she had willed it to, "Umm... no, uh, thank, thank you Sir Meliodas... I can manage."

"Oh." Meliodas pouted, removing his hands and burying them into his hair. Then he piped back up. "Alrighty then!"

He was heading to the door as Hawk burst in, " _Alright you pervert! Get your—"_ The piggy cut himself off when he noticed Meliodas' round eyes watching him as he was already walking away from Elizabeth. "...Oh."

"Let's go, Hawk. Elizabeth is getting dressed."

Hawk stared after the princess who hadn't turned around as Meliodas led him out, "Oh... okay..."

When the door clicked behind them, Elizabeth sighed a sigh of relief as her blush began to subside. She hoped she hadn't hurt Sir Hawk's feelings, but he would have yelled at Sir Meliodas had she turned around and let him see her with a face as bright as the sun.

Not noticing how Meliodas' visit had soothed her headache, she looked at Lara's cloths with a soft smile. He'd said he liked them...

^.~

Apparently it had been a mutual decision of the archer trainees to infest the Boar Hat after their morning drills. Word had spread and now it seemed like the entire guild had joined the Sins for lunch. With Gowther and Merlin's whereabouts unknown, that left King and Diane the only workers after an over-excited elf girl had shoved a pack of clothes at 'Izzy's knight.'

Diane was having a blast with the archers, giving them far too much food and asking no one to pay the bill. King looked on the tavern's invasion with apprehension. So many elves showing up before the Boar Hat ever officially opened! Meliodas hadn't seemed to mind either, what in the world was going on? He turned at the sound of Hawk and Meliodas coming back down the stairs and he drifted to them, clinging to his giant pillow like a security blanket.

"Captain! What do we do?! Shouldn't we be heading back to Camelot?"

Meliodas casually walked back behind the bar as Diane dashed by into the kitchen. His eyes widened, "Diane? You're cooking?"

They could hear Diane's nervous giggle, "Yea, sure I am, Captain! That's why it smells so great in here!"

King sweatdropped as Meliodas leaned back to look into the kitchen, seeing Lara and Gus fussing away back there, handing Diane many more plates. Meliodas' deanpan voice chanted out, "Oh... right, sure."

Diane chortled and spit her tongue out at him as she dashed back out, bringing more platters of food out to the archers.

"Sir Meliodas!" Lara peeked out of the kitchen, her long pastel green hair identical to her brother's hanging down in thick, wavy locks. She looked over toward the stairs, "Didja bring Izzy her clothes?!"

"Yup!" He smiled, "I'm sure she's getting dressed right now."

Lara squealed and ducked back into the kitchen, her bouncy personality even more hyper at the thought of the princess wearing what she'd brought for her.

King's eyes followed Diane, who was leaning against a table of archers she'd just served, laughing and joshing without a care in the world. He asked his captain, "I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to let all these guys make themselves at home here when we really should be getting back to finding Excalibur..."

"Relax, King." Meliodas chuckled light heartedly. "I'm sure we'll head out today or tomorrow, but these are Elizabeth's guild mates and they missed her. The least we can do is be accommodating."

King sighed. The captain wasn't going to be any help getting them on the road anytime soon.

It wasn't long before many of the elves grew loud in cat calls and whoops when Elizabeth shyly made her way downstairs. Young Lara knew _exactly_ what her guild mates were yelling about and bolted out of the kitchen—much to Gus' complaint—and started fussing over how beautiful Elizabeth looked.

Meliodas frowned, he couldn't see her yet, the young archer hadn't even allowed Elizabeth to reach the bottom stair before she'd intercepted her.

"Oh my Goddesses, Izzy! You look two hundred years younger! So sexy!" Her hair swished as she elbowed the princess, "that Sin of yours is never gonna be able to keep his hands offa you!"

 ***A/N* The more I write Lara, the more she reminds me of a perverted version of Pinkie Pie. XD**

Elizabeth blushed, trying to reassure herself of how Lara couldn't possibly know how close to the truth she really was. "Oh, um... thank you very much for the clothes, Lara. I did not have anything white."

Lara just grinned, "I got your back, Izzy. No worries."

The green haired elven girl led Elizabeth to the table Arton and Aral shared with a few others, which was also the one Diane leaned against. The Sin of Envy huffed when she saw Elizabeth's toned body filling in the new-age archer gear so well, _King better not be looking at her..._

Lara shoved Elizabeth down into a seat between her brother and Arton and leaned over to glance at the men at the table, "No touching, boys! This here is my latest model of _fashionable_ clothes!" She grew a glare and raised her volume, "so keep those grubby hands to yourself!"

Turning back to speak sweetly to Elizabeth again, Lara cooed, "Gus and I have some lunch ready for you, I'll be right back!" As the princess attempted to tell her she was not hungry, the young girl zipped away far too fast for Elizabeth to get a word in.

King was still chewing his tongue into oblivion as Meliodas enjoyed watching Elizabeth's back. Sooner than what should have been possible, Lara was behind the Sin captain with hands on his shoulders singing, "Doesn't she look _fantastic?!_ "

Meliodas just grew a slightly bigger half-cocked smile while King groaned, "Lara! I really don't know if dressing up the princess like your own doll is such a good idea..."

Lara humphed, "Oh hush, Harlequin. I remember when you used to be fun!"

As she pranced back into the kitchen, King pouted, "I _am_ fun..."

Meliodas, with eyes glued to a back sculpted by the Goddesses, thought to himself, _Good thing Ban's not here. He'd have her feeling so self-conscious about that outfit that she'd be racing for the waitress uniform..._

Soon the archers with full bellies were dragging Elizabeth out with them to do dexterity exercises. A glance over her shoulder to get a peek at the man she hadn't been able to speak with yet led her to see him waving good bye to her happily.

Soon after the archer's disappearance, Merlin and Gowther teleported into the tavern.

"Well hey there!" Meliodas smiled, rubbing down a mug as usual. "What have you two been up to?"

Merlin's painted lips turned up into a taunting smile. "Would the captain prefer the good news, or the bad news first?"

^.~

Elizabeth was absolutely exhausted by the time she trudged back to the Boar Hat near dinnertime. Lara had taken her around town, collecting many more things she said would be required if she was going to go gallivanting around the land representing the elven race. As the two girls walked in, they stopped at the entrance to see the Sins spread about the room, keeping an eye on the new Queen of Liones speaking harshly to their captain as he stayed silent, wiping down an already clean counter. Margaret was there too, sitting on the floor petting and conversing with Hawk while both their knights stood to the side accompanied by King. All eyes turned to Elizabeth, who was over burdened with bags and parcels.

"Umm..." Lara's eyes scanned the tense atmosphere and set the things she carried on the ground slowly, as though quick movements might release the hounds. "That was fun, Izzy... we should, umm, do it again sometime." She cracked a grin at the princess before she held up a farewell hand and sang, "Byy~ye!" And zipped out of there before anyone could even blink.

Elizabeth staggered back at her guild mate's abrupt retreat and quickly began setting the things she carried down as well, "Oh! Um, sisters! What a pleasure to... to see you... uh, here."

As Margaret merely stood and straightened her white dress with a sweet smile, Veronica scoffed at the sight of her sister dressed like some amazon. "Well at least you haven't forgotten so much that you still wear white! What would Father say?! To see you exposing so... much of yourself?"

The silverette's natural response was to back down and nod in agreement—but after doing so many exercises with her guild, she'd grown to like these clothes! The leather pants she'd always wore had been indeed built for dexterous women, but this skirt... she'd been able to maneuver with _complete_ freedom. She'd even surprised Master Dreyfus by how quickly she'd shot her arrows while jumping and flipping, hanging and falling. Perhaps something could be done about the not-quite bikini for a top, but this gear had grown on her. So, keeping a tight grip on the bow her father had given her so long ago, she furrowed her brows at her sister.

"He would be glad that I am finding my own path, just as he's always wished for all of us—and of _course_ I am wearing white! I miss him too!"

A violet brow lifted as Veronica set two fists on her hips. "So you think you've found your path with these ruffians? _You are a princess of Liones!"_

Elizabeth's knuckles were turning pink, "That I am, and I am not one to stay and be married off like someone would sell cattle!"

Veronica opened her mouth to retort, but stopped. "Uh... _what?"_

Merlin folded her arms and reclined against a table. This was becoming interesting...

Margaret stepped forward. Both her sisters had always admired how her steps looked more like gliding than walking. She was the essence of elven perfection in their eyes, "It is well, Sister." She said to Veronica, before making her way to Elizabeth, placing a reassuring hand over hers. "Not many knew of the discussion about a marriage treaty, and Father had been torn over it." Her pale purple hair fell over her shoulder as she looked back at King. "He only shared the possible outcomes with his closest friends."

King frowned, he had not come to terms with Baltra's death either and had adopted the elves' tradition of wearing nothing but white. "Um... last I heard, the king had not made a decision on the matter."

The eldest princess turned back to Elizabeth and smiled softly. Elizabeth blinked at her curiously. She knew that look... there were things Margaret wanted to tell her, so why was she remaining silent?

"Well, all talks of marriage are totally out of the question." Veronica folded her arms with a stubborn set to her face. A few Sins and knights could be seen giving a relieved exhalation. Only Meliodas, Merlin and (of course) Gowther showed no emotion at the queen's statement.

"Wait," Veronica took a step to her sisters, "is _that_ why you never came back that day?"

Elizabeth pressed her lips together and Margaret giggled, "I do believe our friend Harlequin may have spilled Father's troubles to our sister here."

The silverette's ears wilted slightly as she thought, _Sort of..._

The queen smiled, finally resembling a touch of her older sister's beauty, "Well, you're safe to be home now. No one will wed you away, of this I swear."

Elizabeth smiled too, touched by the sincerity of her sister's words. This woman spoke harshly as easily as others breathed. To hear her speak with such resolve meant volumes. Releasing her bow to her eldest sister, Elizabeth threw herself at her sister turned queen, hugging her tightly. "Oh Veronica! Father would be so proud of you!"

Margaret smiled, holding Elizabeth's bow with straight arms and clasped fingers.

Diane sat up from where she'd been reclining in a chair, "Wait a minute, Elizabeth's staying here?" She turned to several Sins before glaring at her captain, "I thought she'd be going back to Camelot with us!"

Veronica let her sister go, turning at the Serpent Sin barking, "Absolutely not! She belongs here with her family and people!"

The archer waved her arms in front of her sister, "But, but sister! The Seven Deadly Sins are my family now as well."

The long ears of the queen leveled down with her eyes, _"Excuse me?_ You've only been with them what... a week? Two?"

 _Has it only been that long...?_ Elizabeth fidgeted, "My place is with them, here."

Veronica breathed out slowly, and Margaret piped up, "Sister, if she wants to travel, she couldn't be safer than traveling with some of the most powerful knights in our lifetime." A knowing glance was passed to Meliodas covertly, "Elizabeth is important to both of us, but I feel she might be better protected with them... with the dangers presented currently."

Meliodas raised an eyebrow at the eldest princess, but continued to hold his tongue.

With an ear twitching in frustration, Veronica turned to her older sister, " _Are you kidding?_ These Sins cannot possibly have her best interests at heart! You've heard Harlequin's tales just as I have. _They are no good!"_

That was enough. Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak more vehemently than she may have ever since infancy—but before she managed to spit out the first word in Meliodas' defense, Merlin shifted to stand and laid well polished finger tips on the princess' shoulder, effectively hushing her. Her ears turned upward curiously as she looked up at the mage who wore a cunning and calm smile.

"Dear Queen of Liones..." She drawled confidently. "Your desire to keep the princess home and safe is indeed commendable, however..." The Boar Sin of Gluttony swished her hips to stand next to Elizabeth and bared her canines in a predatory smile. "Within the past 72 hours, the Seven Deadly Sins has made quite a drastic change that we have not had the chance to discuss with the princess." In rare form for one such as Merlin, she lowered her eyes respectfully for the passing of King Baltra.

Veronica folded her arms stubbornly, "...Yes?"

Elizabeth heard Merlin's soft, "Heh," before she continued to say, "The Seven Deadly Sins live on, though in light of how imperative it is to protect one as powerful and special as the Princess Elizabeth, as well as the great wealth of friendship she has nurtured with those among us..."

Merlin's smile hinted toward playful as she dragged the back of her fingers along Elizabeth's cheek, "You are now looking at the hidden, eighth Deadly Sin.

"The Siren Sin of Seduction."

Diane spit out the ale she'd been sipping, at the same time that King forgot how to breath and Gilthunder and Griamore fell right to the floor.

Elizabeth's face turned completely red as Hawk started squawking out in her defense. Merlin looked into her eyes with a look that could have commanded the dead to rise again and said to her soothingly, "Oh come now, Princess. No one gets to choose their Sin... though we are all very guilty of it." The mage then moved her lips to rest against Elizabeth's ear so closely that not even the Dragon Sin would be able to hear, "after all, you have been seducing the captain since the day you two met."

Had Elizabeth been capable of speech before—she sure wasn't now.

Margaret smiled at the cleverness of the Boar Sin as Veronica began sputtering, struggling to find the right words to reply with. The eldest princess began to giggle surprisingly lightheartedly, "Well at least the change in fashion makes a little more sense!"

Veronica whipped her head at her sister, completely flabbergasted by such a comment. "You... you're okay with this?!"

The eldest daughter of Baltra cast her mirth aside and lowered her gaze to the queen. "You have asked that I hold the sacred memories of past kings instead of passing them to you, so listen to me well, Sister." She paused, noticing Veronica's rightly demure expression. "There are forces at work here that we cannot battle alone. Our dear sister has forged a life-long brotherhood with the Seven Deadly Sins and it must be allowed to prosper. We will need their help again before peace is properly achieved once more."

Silence filled the room after her words. It had felt more like a prophecy than simply good advice; well, with Margaret being a priestess... it very likely could have been.

Veronica turned back to Elizabeth, who was still trying to banish the blush Merlin had metaphorically painted on her, "So this is what you think your lot in life should be? To become the one glowing light in a band of miscreants?"

Merlin feigned a petulant lip, "Careful now, Veronica, you may hurt our feelings."

"Yea... we're like... right here." Diane huffed, not too happy that Elizabeth got such a cool name with not a soul running it by her first.

Elizabeth's eyes were locked on her sister's, the new queen of Liones. Her courage growing slowly but steadily, she said, "Yes, Sister. My path runs with theirs."

Veronica glanced at Margaret, who nodded to her happily. She felt sure that this was where Elizabeth would be safest. So much that she was willing to trust the demon lord Meliodas... yes... she knew about him now, and his wrathful sin.

She also knew the way he looked at her, even now... when he was trying to stay out of their family's affairs. After careful consideration, her feelings now leaned much more towards his affections pointing to her sister, instead of her power, though she may have Tay'moraad go along with them to keep an eye on things. He would know whether Meliodas' intentions were pure...

The jovial way her elder sister agreed is what won Veronica over in the end. Certainly _not_ the claim that she had joined the Seven Deadly Sins. With another inspection of her sister, the queen said, "Alright. You will write to us—keep in touch! The people must know that you're safe." The queen smiled and winked to Elizabeth, "I cannot have the best archer in Liones going and getting herself blown up."

The youngest princess blinked, "Yes... though I am not the one amply named, Battle Queen."

Veronica chuckled, "This is true!"

A few more pleasantries were shared before the queen and eldest princess left the Sins to be on their way. Margaret had told Elizabeth that she would send Tay'moraad to travel with her—and she'd pack a few things from her room as well. As soon as the silverette watched them turn the corner back toward the castle, she marched back into the Boar Hat and sputtered out what she'd been holding in for far too long.

"Siren Sin of Seduction?! 72 hours?!"

Everyone but Merlin looked at her with round curious eyes at her uncommon outburst. Merlin merely gave a musical chuckle and said, "Well yes, dear. This afternoon while you were out, the captain and I had a talk over how best to let your loving sisters let you stay." She smiled slyly at the princess, "It was still within the past 72 hours—I did not tell a lie."

Diane stood, "So is she really a Sin now? One of us?"

"She's been one of us for a while now." Meliodas responded, pulling his gaze from Elizabeth to the shrunken giantess, "we just needed it official for the politicians to have something fancy to say."

Hawk stomped his foot, "But... _seduction?!_ Elizabeth hasn't seduced anyone!"

The Sin captain looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, "Well... there's lots of different ways to seduce people." He lowered his gaze to the piggy with a knowing grin showing a set of canines, "look who's thinking perverted now..."

"It's true, Hawk." Merlin winked, "do you think I could have such a curvaceous body if all I did was eat?"

Hawk pouted, "I'm so confused."

All the Sins laughed except for King (and Gowther, of course) who watched Elizabeth's body language, trying to discern her feelings on the matter. His observations were interrupted however, when Merlin once again placed an hand on her shoulder with a smile every Sin knew to be wary of.

"All that's left is the matter of your mark." Her painted lips curved slightly higher, "it's our own little tradition..."

* * *

 _ **WOOOO!**_

 _ **FINALLY!**_ **I've been wanting to name her the Siren Sin of Seduction for like... FOREVER! It's finally out there! WOOOOO!**

 **I drew up a picture of Elizabeth's new archer gear and put it up on my deviant place that shows art. Hehe, go check it out should you want a look at uber sexy elven Izzy!**

 **My Deviant is Seriphia-Kiwi  
** **seriphia-kiwi(x)deviantart(x)com/art/Izzy1-593729840**

 **Hope yall enjoyed!**

 **Foxes &Flowers** **: I post! I post! U like? XD!  
** **MayKil** **: *lick lick* ty!  
** **PipElulu** **: Omg, ure so crazy! I'm roflin all over the place!  
** **Ruon** **: You could write me a whole book! I dun care! I love reading every sentence! Unfortunately, I know nothing about Gil's dad, so PROBABLY not, but then again, my Dom is pushing the manga on me so... o.O One never knows! Thank you so much! I know you appreciate all of a chapter when one posts like you. NEVER CHANGE! I lick you long time!  
** **Qubee** **: He IS isn't he! I lovies him so, so much!  
** **Guest** **: Meh... in a more perfect world, yea, I'd be able to keep a schedule—but yea, it's whenever I get one finished! ^^;; I have this, and Nalu, and a Balaine running currently—as well as a conspiratorial story with my fellow writers under DoubleLSD... so yea, hehe, it's whenever I get it ready to go.  
** **MyLuv** **: Ikr! Luv that Gowther! Oh Lara... LOL! And yea, we GOTTA get those koozies out to the people! XD and—thank YOU for writing too!  
** **BettyDearest** **: You gave me a Llama trophey! AWW! I don't know what it's for, but I do like it da llama! XD And Meli was diggin having his hands full of intoxicated elf I'm sure! rofl!  
** **Stormie** **: Since when did the baddies leave our dragon boy alone? Puhleeeze! Shit's gonna get real, Stormie-bae! Lol at ure comment about Hide and Seek, hehe! Shit, no, lol a pretty much everything. HA! Loved the review u delicious, tasty, awesome BaeBae you! XD  
** **Dea** **: HAHAHAHA! Secret door in castle? NAAAH! He's must be on hallucinogens! YEA BAN! Mad cred to Ban, I love you so much! XD Moar? Moar? Siren Sin of Seduction... XD there's your moar!  
** **Dom** **: Eat me** ** _and_ punishment? That seems a little counter productive... but OK! I'm down. And... yes... I love the teasing. I can't help it. You suffer through it quite well though. Luv ya!  
** **Lecka-chan** **: Those baddies just ruin everything don't they? Ugh! NONO! I'm physic, I like the first deduction better. XD Coconut desert huh? I did not know that!** ** _Beijinhos!  
_** **YamiLuna** **: Hehe! Love that guy! Wonder what he's up to?  
** **WoundedOwl** **: You are hereby dubbed** **CherryFlavoredOwl cuz I licked you and you can't dispute it (though it'd be cute if you tried!). Aaaaaand, YUP! The L-word is out there... somewhere, floating around...  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: Goofball Goatman Gowther! I LUV IT! OMG, you are so sweet! You make me feel like I have a super power! XD  
** **CalCal** **: Yea, my ear is still ringing. XD I love it!  
** **SCreatureGames** **: That would happen here, lol, in the M rating. Ty!**

 **HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS! Now I gotta give you sumthin more. You got to my 13 and THEN some. SEVENTEEN? Wooooow! Thank you so much! I love and lick you! I LickLove you!**

 **As promised, Here we go!**

* * *

Hawk: You big, fat pervert! You were in on naming Elizabeth such a nasty name weren't you!

Meliodas: *stare*

Hawk: Hey, *poke* Are you listening?

Meliodas: *stare*

Hawk: _MELIODAS!_

Meliodas: *finally looks down at the annoyed lil piggy* Loud pigs are the first to get cooked, ya know.

Hawk: _Eeeek! *_ runs frantically in a circle before panting to a halt* You can't... *huff* just change the... subject... *huff* I wanna know why you named sweet Elizabeth what you did!

Meliodas: Wasn't me. That was _all_ Merlin.

Hawk: Nuh uh! ...Really?

Meliodas: Oh, I came up with names too. *starts ticking off fingers while talking* Sin of Panties, Sin of Bounce, Sin of Sexy...

Hawk: Meliodas! Those are _horrible!_

Meliodas: Are they? I guess that might be why Merlin said she'd handle it...

Hawk: *covers eyes with ears* poor Elizabeth!

 _All for you, my lovelies.  
_ _Seriphia aka Lick_

 _:p_


	21. An Empty Bottle

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!  
** **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
** **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
** **3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
** **4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
** **5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
** **6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
** **7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
** **8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
** **9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **OMG GUYS! Did you SEE the amazing new cover art!? Dom drew me a pic and I just HAD to toss some edits on it and make it the new coverart. It's AMAZING! THANK YOU DOM!**

* * *

What Good is an  
Empty Bottle?

Quills bounced on the desk as Elizabeth fretted about trying to clean a shattered bottle of ink. Oh what was she _thinking_ setting the ink onto the top of his desk like that!? She had rushed into the new bathroom as fast as she could to grab a towel, but now all she was managing to do was spread the ink stain on his beautiful tiled floor! What's worse—

The princess' ears wilted as she chewed her bottom lip, holding up the towel she used. _Now I've ruined one of Sir Meliodas' soft, fluffy towels!_

The blue towel was smudged everywhere with black ink. Some clever inventor really needed to come up with a solution of ink that _wasn't_ so permanent. Sir Meliodas was going to kill her! The elf sat on the floor staring at the stain there with supreme feelings of dread, then to the towel, then back to the floor. She puffed out her cheeks in frustration and released it in a breeze that blew her bangs upward. Elizabeth had no idea how to clean up such a mess!

 _The Boar Hat moves. It is not safe to keep breakables on the top of anything. The Boar Hat moves, keep ink in the drawer... the bloody Boar Hat MOVES!_

Elizabeth whimpered to herself as she set the soft, splotchy evidence of her guilt to the side and started picking up the tiny shards of glass that jumped about on the floor as Mama Pig continued her walk back to Camelot. Once she'd gathered all the pieces she could find, Elizabeth looked back up at the desk fortunate to be unmarked from where she sat, defeated, on the floor. At least it did not forsake her like the floor and towel—most certainly condemning Elizabeth to certain doom.

 _He'd been so sweet to clear out his desk for me too..._

— _everything hazes in pink as Elizabeth recalls Meliodas' kindness—_

 _I stood in the bedroom at the foot of the bed, clutching a fist to my chest watching Sir Meliodas curiously humming away as he moved many things about his room._

" _Umm, Sir Meliodas?"_

 _He stopped in his tracks to look to me, holding what could possibly be a ledger he used for bookkeeping Boar Hat tallies. His green eyes sparkled with happiness... he looked so carefree and handsome watching me like that, "Yes, Elizabeth?"_

" _What, what are you doing?"_

 _I could see the chuckle growing within him before his chest even rumbled, "You heard what Veronica said just like I did, so I figured you should have the desk here."_

 _My ears always betrayed my emotions. Bothersome things raised with his kindness—before they twitched due to my awkwardness... "Oh! But Sir Meliodas! This is your desk! I wouldn't want to impede!"_

" _But I love it when you impede." Sir Meliodas' smile only grew as he walked back to the desk and set the ledger inside one of the drawers. "If it'll make ya feel better," he closed the drawer, never looking away from me, "we'll share it."_

 _Why did it feel like he was talking about so much more than just the desk? I blinked at him leaning against the desk with a lazy posture and replied with a ridiculous, "Oh... alright."_

 _His green eyes danced with merriment again as he gestured to the clothes I had strewn all over the bed, "I'm perfectly happy to crawl into a bed covered in Izzy clothes tonight, but weren't you putting those away?"_

 _I blushed brightly and ignorantly turned around to look at the bed as though all my new clothes may have managed to walk away by their own volition. "Oh! Yes of course, Sir Meliodas!"_

 _The smile we shared then was certainly the best part of the whole day._

— _Elizabeth returns to her irksome present—_

This ink stain needed to suffer an excruciating death, no, not death, complete annihilation from existence.

 _He'd even cleared out more of his closet for me.  
_ Elizabeth began chewing her bottom lip again.  
 _And all I do is make a horrible mess of his floor, and now his towel._

She was still staring at the stain, willing it to disappear from this life when she jumped at the sound of the voice she'd been most worried about.

"Now what did I tell you about mistreating that lip?"

" _Eep!"_ She looked over her shoulder from where she sat to see the rascal of a knight standing in the doorway with his eyes dancing with something that could either be mirth or mischief.

 _How did he know I'd been doing that? My back was turned!_

The princess quickly adjusted her seating so that he might not see the floor behind her, but an ear twitched with guilt. Her back was still to him and her long hair tickled her back, reminding her of his hands. "I um... I was only placing my stationary away, um... Sir Meliodas."

The blonde walked up behind her and bent over practically on top of her to inspect the mess she'd made. "Whatcha got there?"

Yet again, her large ears had failed her. Elizabeth hadn't heard him step toward her and turned to see the side of his face less than a hand span from hers and fell over ungracefully. She quickly popped back into a seated position further away with her legs tucked under her and started rambling on frantically.

"I'm sorry Sir Meliodas! I didn't mean for the ink to fall over, it's just that I'm not used to houses, um, _moving_ and I was just... uh... Ahhh!" Elizabeth suddenly winced in pain, having gripped the hand she held shards of the broken bottle too tightly.

As quick as a flash, Meliodas was holding her hand, examining the damage. There were a few gashes in her hand, but nothing too terrible. He shook the glass from her palm into his and placed a handkerchief in her hand, tightening her fist around it. "It's not bad, just hold that there for a moment so it'll stop bleeding."

He rose to discard the broken bits as Elizabeth frowned. How is it that she always managed to make a fool of herself around this man? Did the Goddesses see it as some horrible twist of fate that a princess would not be able to compose herself properly in front of a demon? It was happening on such a regular basis now that she was truly beginning to think the powers that be were lining the stars against her.

Elizabeth tilted her head curiously when the knight turned back around, furrowing his brows slightly. She'd assumed he'd be looking at the mess she'd made; however, he wasn't looking at the stain at all. He was looking at her breasts with a smug, closed mouth smile.

The elf wriggled, feeling with the up most clarity how much skin she was showing, "Um... Sir Meliodas?"

His eyes flickered to hers and he walked right over the horrible ink smudge and squatted in front of her, cupping his chin thoughtfully. He was inspecting her bosom with quite the critical eye.

Elizabeth stared at him for what felt like forever, frozen under his obtrusive gaze. A blush slowly rose in her face the longer this went on. She even began to hold her breath.

…

It was actually surprising when he broke the silence, saying—and groping, "You've got black stuff all over you, Elizabeth."

"Unngh!" Was her only response, his hands were heating something deep within her. She pressed her eyes closed under the feel of such touches, red blossoming on those cheeks even more. Then a squeal burst from her mouth when she suddenly felt a breeze right in her ear, quickly turning to see nothing but the grabby demon's green eyes. They were so close that their noses brushed against each other. His hands were still massaging her chest in an all too entirely pleasing way—he must have blown in her ear! He couldn't possibly know what kind of effect he was having on her... could he? Oh Goddesses but he was so handsome!

Her eyes widened when he simply leaned into her other ear to whisper sensually with _hot_ breath very easily felt on the shivering elf, "I can help you change back into something white if you like." He paused, "but I think you'd look pretty good in black too. How about we get you something black to sleep in tonight?"

Elizabeth could actually feel his lips brushing against her ear! Oh and his husky voice was echoing throughout her entire body... Those hands! Oh Goddesses why won't he stop? Why would he stop? Did she want him to stop?

 _Ack!_ Of course she wanted him to stop! With him doing this... she couldn't breath—it was suddenly far too hot in the room... and she felt dizzy!

"Ahhhh! Meliodaaas!"

The man paused in his actions and purred, that's right, purred. He leaned in more, sending them both to the ground, but his hands were on the floor to each side of her instead of groping; so that was better, right... right?

Right.

Except now he was staring down at her with the devil in his eyes. She couldn't know that it had pleased him greatly that she had said his name without the 'sir' prefix, not to mention the _way_ she had said it... His eyes were a shade darker than they typically were and it made Elizabeth (naturally) assume that he was indeed, mad about the stain.

"Sir, Sir Meliodas! I'm so sorry!"

His ageless eyes grew a lighter shade again as they rounded out in the pretense of innocence right in front of her, "For what?"

Elizabeth felt like she might be having a mental breakdown. The way the floor moved to Mama Pig's steps must be making her... hmm, house sick? "The, the... ink spill!"

Meliodas sat up, still straddling her and poked her breast, looking at the ink smudged on her breasts with the same faultless expression, "Oh this? I don't mind. Gave me a great chance to look at them more closely." His eyes shifted to her with a sly grin and raised brow, "But you didn't have to mess up one'a your new tops to get my attention."

"At-t-t-ttenion? Umm... N-no, Sir Meliodas, the..." Elizabeth motioned to where the small bottle had tumbled to the ground. Perhaps it wasn't so bad that her willpower hadn't made the ink stain on the floor fade; what with her now using its presence to rescue her and all.

He looked over at the floor off to the side and hummed at the stain, folding his arms.

Elizabeth pressed her lips together, wriggling under him while he inspected the ruined part of the floor. Far too honest for her own good, she said, "And the towel I tried to clean it with... it's stained now as well..."

He closed his eyes and replied in a concerned tone, "Yup... looks like we may have to come up with some sort of punishment for ya..."

"Pun-pun, punishment...?"

An eye peeked down at her with a glimmer that couldn't possibly mean anything good. Meliodas then smiled and snapped his fingers, "I've got it! How about I tie you up tonight instead of the other way around?"

"Wha-wha-whaat?" How has this demon not killed her by now?! Her heart must have beat its final beat at least four times in the last few moments. It was just so _hot_ in here!

The knight pondered for a bit longer, happy to indulge in the fantasy. "We'd have to figure out a way to sedate the pig, of course..."

Red was a nice color, right? It wouldn't be so bad to be forever the only red-skinned elf in the land. She'd just say it was... sunburn! Yes! That would work! Oh but she could not banish the mental image of Meliodas tying her to the bed—what would he _do?!_

He chuckled at her when he'd finally thought she'd had about as much as she could take, "Elizabeth, I'm not worried about the towel. I'd picked up those things for you because of the new bathroom, anyway." The Sin then granted her a handsome smile, "us guys don't care much for all that fluffy stuff." He grinned and gripped a handful of her breast again, "but squishy is another thing altogether."

"Ahhhh! Sir Meliodas!" She was pressing her legs together from a building ache she couldn't quite get a handle on and spouted out the only thing she could think of, "but what about your floor?!"

He brought the same hand that had just pleasured, er, tortured her to his lips, tapping them thoughtfully. "I've been thinking about getting a rug for a little while now. You know, it'll be a little warmer next time we find ourselves on the floor like this."

She was beginning to wish that ink had of fallen on her face. It cannot be good that the newest member of the Seven Deadly Sins was blushing like a mad woman, "Warm... mer?"

With a half smile and a triumphant fist falling into his other splayed hand, Meliodas said, "Yup!" Then Elizabeth yelped as the world suddenly spun for the smallest of instances and gulped when she found herself now hovering over the Dragon Sin on hands and knees. He smirked up at her with a curtain of silver locks buying them more privacy than he could have ever dreamed for, "though next time, I hope you're the one to get us goin..." His expression abruptly took a turn to serious as he ushered out one more word from his lips, "Izzy."

"Sir Meliodas..."

Her heart was beating a thousand times faster than what should have been possible. She was staring into the eyes of a beast and she felt herself completely overwhelmed. Would it be bad if she indulged in what she really wanted? In 400 years, she'd only had a fleeting crush on but one man and that had ended quickly. It was nothing like the burning desire she had at that moment, hovering over the very man who had sworn to protect her.

Warm hands slithered from her waist to her hips, and a smile grew on his lips when he felt her shiver. Her eyes grew a longing that he found enticing, at least he hoped it was longing. Meliodas wanted more than anything for her to make an advance, anything else would always have him wondering if he'd taken advantage of her in a moment of weakness—and that was not what he wanted.

He wanted her as his mate, and would work forever to make it so.

"My my," chuckled a musical voice at the door Meliodas cursed himself for not closing. Merlin stood there with a smile that knew what she could be interrupting, "getting a head start on a more forward approach to your Sin, are we?"

No matter how much he wanted to throttle Merlin for her intrusion, Meliodas had to admit that it was adorable how the princess' eyes widened, ears perked, and the blush that had begun to take on a lustful tint went right back up to an embarrassed glow. Elizabeth crawled off of him, to his dismay, and began rambling frantically about how she was just trying to get the ink cleaned up.

So the Sin captain smirked and leaned his hands under his head and replied, "And I was helpin her."

That small response silenced the elf and both she and the mage looked at him, laying on the floor with a smug grin on his face.

Eventually, Merlin stroked a hand through her hair with a humored shake of her head. "Hawk's mother is ready to make camp for the night. I would suggest that you come down to determine where she roosts."

With an arch of his back, Meliodas jumped up to his feet and gave Elizabeth a quick glance and a smile before he walked out with Merlin, "Alright. I hope we made it to a town with good ale, all those archers used up... " His voice faded from Elizabeth's hearing as he walked with the Boar Sin down the stairs.

Elizabeth took long deep breaths, watching the doorway from which he'd fled. She couldn't help but recall how he'd managed to make her want to grind against him so _badly_ that morning in Camelot. Oh Goddesses but perhaps she should have stayed at home! This demon was going to be the end of her... Sir Meliodas had said he wanted her to get them... going?

If he meant what she thought he meant—she couldn't possibly!

^.~

"Calm yourself, sister. This will be over soon." Lips painted darker than the deepest black curled into a pleased smile.

"I can already sense the sword you so unjustly took from me moving about the world again. It is only a matter of time. You will see. The kingdoms vying for power, chasing the crown, hunting the Tay-daishar... it will all be meaningless once Excalibur is delivered to me. Then I will take what was always meant to be mine."

Those luscious lips lost some of their humor as the faint chime of a voice could be heard but not deciphered. "You underestimate the greed of man, dear sister. You will see. They are but puppets that I have played with while patiently biding my time."

A red tongue moistened the lips as the faint voice responded, a pitch higher with concern. The black lips responded with, "You mustn't worry. Once all is right with the world again, I shall take you home as well. After all, there will still be things I will need you to guard, though they will not be what they are now."

She would need a place to store the Tay-daishar, at least until she would have use of her again. Wouldn't want such a marvelous specimen to whither away as the ages go by...

^.~

It was nice to be doing something as mundane as walking about the village running errands with King. The fairy king had never seemed much like the Harlequin she knew when around the other Sins. Here though, procuring the ale delivery and shopping for spices and the like, he seemed to have that quiet calm that she'd known in Liones.

As they made their way to the vegetable vendor, the fairy watched her from the corner of his eye. They both still wore white. Baltra's demise was something he was sure neither of them would be forgetting soon. Could the drows have really let the snake loose to claim him while he slept? It just seemed so... cowardly. Carefully gauging her response, he asked, "So how are you, Elizabeth?"

She had been smiling lightly to herself, nodding politely to the people they'd pass. It was not everyday that such a tiny town had visitors such as a floating fairy and elfkin. With ears that perked up from his question, she looked to him hesitantly, "Me? Oh, I'm fine, Sir King, thank you."

King rested his hands behind his back and hovered just barely off the ground so he'd be eye level with her, "I was just curious as to your feelings on the whole, Siren Sin of Seduction thing." _So soon after your father's murder, no less._

She had the graces to look embarrassed, "Oh... that, well, I'm not sure really. I'm a bit confused. I may be good with a bow and arrow, but I'm not a skilled knight like the rest of you."

That was not exactly where he'd thought her insecurities would lay, but he already knew how very odd women could be at times... "Merlin and I are not warriors either. I think you'll discover your place just fine."

Elizabeth let out a nervous laugh, "I hope so... I wouldn't want to disappoint Sir Meliodas, after all."

A soft smile grew on King's face, "I suppose you should start calling him Captain now, what with your new title."

"Oh!" The princess blushed, which made King chuckle lightheartedly, "you think I should?"

"As the Siren Sin, I would say so. I mean—" King was cut off by an explosion going off right in his face. _Sneak attack? What? I—_ "Elizabeth!"

As quick as he could manage, he sent Chastiefol into its bear form to wrap its arms tightly around the princess before another three explosions erupted in the air right in front of them. King was blasted back into the Chastiefol bear as well, and he heard people all around them screaming and running away.

"Sir King!" Elizabeth's voice was muffled from behind his back, "what's happening?"

"Just hold on, Elizabeth..." King narrowed his eyes at the resulting smoke clouding his vision. _It's as though the very air is igniting..._

Both Grizzly and Siren Sin widened their eyes as the smoke dissipated to see the white clad drow elf that Gowther had captured in Liones standing before them with her rapier pointed right at them. She smiled at them with cheerful eyes, "If I have analyzed the situation correctly, and I usually do, I believe I may have the upper hand here."

"You!" King sat up, quickly pulling himself from the stuffed bear that gripped Elizabeth. "You're the one who led the attack on Liones!"

"That I am, little fairy, and I must find a way to regain the good graces of my prince so that our families can safely return home." She tilted her head at the way King was frowning at her, "and what better way to do that than to bring him the person he'd originally sent us to collect?"

With a raise of King's arm, the green bear vanished behind him, causing Elizabeth to, "Eep!" and tumble to the ground as his spear manifested, hovering just above his hand. He raised an eyebrow with no humor in his eyes and spoke calmly, "It is only a matter of time before others feel the power you so naively wrought and come checking on the princess' welfare." His eyes took on a bored glaze, "unfortunately for them, you will have already been dealt with."

Guila's smile curled just a little bit more, "Is that what you think, Sir Sin? That does not correspond to the calculations we have so carefully prepared for..."

King sent his spear for her at the same time he narrowed his eyes, muttering, "We?"

The Grizzly Sin of Sloth was forcing Guila into completely defensive maneuvers with nothing more than multiple flicks of his wrists. Elizabeth watched from where she'd fallen to the ground in awe. She had never seen the Fairy King actually fight before... if fighting was what it could be called. To take such an offensive stand against an opponent and not even break a sweat was mind-boggling!

Her previous abductor said 'we'. Elizabeth scanned the vacated market in search of another. She didn't see anyone...

"You think you can best me with only the swings of that tiny sword, Drow?" King sighed lazily, "the clock is ticking. Soon you will be too tired to dodge Chastiefol's blade."

Though the warrior was breathing hard and using everything she had to constantly swing her sword to deflect King's, her smile only grew. "Who says I'm going to need to?"

King's wrist froze as he lifted a brow and broadened his frown, "Hmm, that _is_ a curious response. I suppose if you insist on responding to me so obscurely..." His hand splayed out all his fingers and suddenly there were so many blades floating in the sky that it blotted out the sun. "Then I shall have to end this much more quickly."

There was no hiding the fear that grew on Guila's face. Even Elizabeth felt a chill run up her at the sight. This was Harlequin's power? It seemed like overkill! This woman may have abducted her, even killed someone to get to her... and then led an attack on her kingdom—but it still didn't mean she wanted to watch her get speared through like this! There wouldn't even be anything left to bury... Elizabeth's breathing became ragged as the posture of her comrade never faltered as he lowered his wrist, consequently lowering every pointed spear at the enemy while doing so.

" _Jericho! Do it now!"_ Elizabeth's eyes followed where Guila had screamed, and everything started to happen so quickly; she heard a loud explosion where Guila had been at the same moment Jericho walked out from around the corner of a stone building holding what looked to be two glass objects. One was in the shape of an orb, the other seemed to be nothing more than a bottle.

The blunette smiled triumphantly as she released the orb that turned out to be attached to a chain around her neck and uncorked the bottle. "Come inside little fairy!"

King raised his eyes and looked over his shoulder at her, _An entrapment artifact?_

"No!" There was nothing he could do, for he could already feel himself being sucked into the bottle. The only solace he had was being able to pull Chastifol back to him before the bottle was corked by a smug Jericho who lifted it to her face to peer at the fairy beating against the glass yelling something no one could hear.

Elizabeth covered her mouth in terror. King was... in the bottle? Her ear twitched as she saw the black haired woman calmly approach her. The princess quickly drew an arrow and pointed it with deadly accuracy, "Give him back!"

"My dear little princess," her words seemed to drip with flattery she did not mean. Perhaps even now, she did not wish to speak words of insult after Meliodas' words to her the last time they'd met. "It is adorable how you think you can protect yourself from being taken... let alone your friend there."

Instead of coming at her, Guila held up her hand and caught the King-filled bottle Jericho threw to her. Then it was the other swords woman who rushed her. An incredibly feminine yelp was heard when Elizabeth managed to time a round kick just right to send Jericho into the ground. The princess' eyes were wide as she watched the drow slowly pull herself from the ground, wiping her mouth.

 _I did that! She came at me faster than I could even see, but still I managed to..._

"You bitch!" Jericho growled at her, flashing about her even faster this time, binding Elizabeth's hands behind her back with blinding speed.

"Ahh!" Elizabeth whimpered at how tight the shackles were that the other elf had locked her wrists in. They must have been made for a child!

...or perhaps a fairy.

In her defiance, Elizabeth tried to slam her head back into Jericho's face, but the warrior just tugged the chains down, forcing the princess' legs to collapse only to kick her squarely in the face, just as Elizabeth had done her.

Jericho looked to Guila with a frown as the orb she had around her neck began to chime. "We are almost out of time!"

"Very well. We must go before they can sense our presence!"

Both drow elves nodded to each other and Jericho hiked the now unconscious princess over her shoulder as Guila lifted the small bottle complete with fairy so that he could see her cheerful smile again. "You were right, dear Harlequin. It was only a matter of time... unfortunately for the two of you, time stood still with the help of one of our little toys. Honestly, you didn't think we wouldn't have come prepared, now did you?"

King continued to beat on the glass from where he was trapped inside the bottle.

 _I've got to get out of here!_

* * *

 **You didn't think the trip back to Camelot would be PEACEFUL now did you?  
** **Silly rabbit!**

 _ **Lick Lick Lick!**_

 **Stormie** **: Rofling on ure comments gurl, cuz I'm not gonna comment on** _ **ANY OF IT!**_ **Luv ya Stormie-bae!  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: All you have to do is replace the x's for periods. Google should do the rest, either that or look up Seriphia-kiwi on the actual site. That should work too. :) YES! I luv Lara too. ^.^  
** **FoxBlossoms** **: ROFL going to hell. HA! Yea, we're so screwed! XD  
** **BettyDearest** **: Good observations BettyDearest... I mustn't comment... for spoilers may slip out! o.o  
** **c0c0** **: Oh my! Flattery gets you everywhere my darling! Why ty so very much! *suggestive wink*  
** **MyLuv** **: Woooo! You wrote me a chapter Luv! I LUV IT! And as for your pity party... get on the vid chat like the resta Double LSD! I thought aboutcha when King was being a hero. Didja like that? Huh huh huh?  
** **L-chan** **: Indeed, it's almost like Meli and Lara co-conspired! XD AND you should feel important! A whole lotta history from where you hail from has inspired SO MANY writers and film makers! And... why** _ **did**_ **Meli fall asleep? Will we ever find out? o.o** ** _Beijinhos!  
_** **DomNom** **: Cuz he** _ **liiiiiiiiiikes herrrrrrrrrrr!**_ **XD You gave me a Happy moment! YAY for Dom! Perhaps Gowther will spill a teensy bit of intel next chap should they learn Grizzly and Siren are missing. You know that guy can't keep a secret! Hehe!  
** **Maeko** **: Daaaaaw! Well thank you! I hope this meets with your liking as well. *grin*  
** **CalCal** **: HAHAHAHA! I get along well with others! OMG that's freakin FUNNY! XD WOOOO! Ikr! Sin of Panties, rdy for duty sir! Wait, whaddya mean I'm on laundry detail!? What a jip!  
** **Ruon** **: Oh I can't wait for them to meet back up with Ban either... eh heh heh...  
** **Akiame** **: I update! I update! I update cuz I love the love! :D**

 **ONE comment away from the magical 13 and bonus dialogue! Maybe next time. =^.^=**

 **Seriphia  
** **aka  
** **Lick**

 **:p**


	22. Shades of Gray

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!  
** **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
** **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
** **3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
** **4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
** **5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
** **6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
** **7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
** **8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
** **9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **OMG GUYS! I got another fanart! My readers are... AMAZING! Deamonik did up a pic of how she imagined Izzy's new gear! It's awesome! XD Check it out! X'x for dots, you know the drill:**

 **demonikangel(x)deviantart(x)com/art/Izzy-SDS-Love-is-a-Battlefield2-593836623**

 **ALSO! I wanna send all the love I possibly can out to Rainstorm2122!  
** **She needs all the love and support we can possibly give her, so... yea, this one is for you girl!  
** **Love ya Stormie!**

 **My licks are up here this time! :3**

 **BettyDearest : Lenient..? Hmm... I agree though... kidnapping is BAD! I HAVE A FAIRY IN A BOTTLE! WHEEEEE! Check her deviant art out guys!  
** **iBook** **: Drop by anytime. ;D I'll make a cake and we'll share a bottle champagne!  
** **MagicalGuest** **: Hell yea! There's magic anywhere with a strong enough will to search it out! HA! Fetish! XD I do believe the cuffs were a back up plan should the bottle have failed. Hehe.  
** **MyLuv** **: HAIL TO THE PUNISHMENT! Heyheyhey... shhhhh! There's a secret message for you SUMWHERE in this chappie. *snicker* I HAS A FAIRY IN A BOTTLE!  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: I start with a general idea, then just let the story play out. It's a process. :) My my! So much venom toward Jeri and Guila! LOL!  
** **FoxBlossom** **: XD Heyheyheyhey... I HAS A FAIRY IN A BOTTLE! *grin*  
** **yojimbo** **: mmmmm... she has a** ** _general_ understanding, having Veronica as a sister, but it was never really her cup of tea. :/  
** **CalCal** **: Blast the reality! XD Stoopid pig, stoopid Merlin! Stoopid Meli for not SHUTTING the door! Hehe!  
** **muggleblu** **: I update! Yaaaaaas! Luv the torture! SPRING BREAK YEA!  
** **Dea** **: Lol! Oh you KNOW Merlin did that shit on purpose! Pirates! Woooooo! Check her deviant art out guys!  
** **Dom** **: I feed off your want. I cannot help it. You have my T-virus, I have your want. It sustains me.  
** **Guest** **: I hope it is everything you hope it to be... weeeell... maybe not...** ** _everything.  
_** **Guest** **:*bats eyelashes*  
** **L-chan** **: I HAS A FAIRY IN BOTTLE! XD And as for the kiss... let us not dwell on the things that has not yet come to pass, but the journey on which things may** ** _come_ to pass. Beijinhos!  
** **Stormie , I know you have not had a chance to read, but I'm lickin ya neway. ;)**

Shades of Gray

Diane was growing apprehensive as she stared out the window. Hawk was outside officially opening the pub and King and Elizabeth still weren't back! Merlin was gone (uninterested in traveling like _normal_ knights with a giant tavern riding piggy), and Gowther couldn't care less... _and_ the captain was just whistling away wiping a counter that wasn't dirty!

With Elizabeth still out with King, she was at risk of having to work! No sneaking off once things got busy, no stargazing while listening to King's monologue of guilt. "Ugh! _Where are they?!"_

Meliodas looked up at her strangling the life out of the window sill and a chuckle grew in his voice, "Getting worried already, Diane?"

"No," Diane spoke too quickly as she leaned heavily against the sill and looked over her shoulder at him petulantly. "They just shoulda been home by now."

Slinging the cloth he used onto his shoulder, her captain folded his arms, "Yea, but you know King. If Elizabeth found some other place she wanted to visit, then he woulda just gone with her."

That led Diane to pout, "That guy really needs to grow a backbone."

Meliodas shook his head with a soft smile, "He's got a great backbone, Diane. You saw how he was in the elven capitol. He's just not that way with friends."

"Yea... I guess you're right..." Diane sighed, sitting back against the window she'd almost crumpled into tiny pieces.

"They'll be alright. Have faith—" Meliodas stopped at the Goat Sin's interruption.

"Energy levels have risen to the south, perhaps 40 leagues from our current location. Similarities to the Fox Sin's signature is exponential, was he instructed to meet us here, Captain?"

Both Meliodas and Diane turned to him as Hawk skipped back in from announcing the Boar Hat's opening. The captain tilted his head at Gowther, "Hmm, no. I figured he was gonna stay at the lake."

Gowther swished finely combed pink hair as he shook his head, "Unless someone has extremely similar magical footprints, it is him engaging battle with the drow elf Guila from earlier."

"What?" Diane stood up straight, grimacing, "why would that looser be fighting her?"

Meliodas leaned his head back in his hands, "You know Ban, there could be any number of reasons, nonetheless..." He turned to look at Hawk, who was glancing at his comrades curiously, "better make sure the townsfolk know we won't be opening til later. If Ban's out there bickering with drows, I'd feel better getting Elizabeth and King back here before we start letting customers in."

Diane grew a big smile, "I'll go get them!"

"That's great! Gowther?" Meliodas smirked, watching Diane's happy expression melt before his eyes, "go with her."

^.~

"We kindle and char and inflame and ignite,  
"Drink up me hearties yo ho...  
"We burn up the city, we're really a fright,  
"Drink up me hearties yo ho."

The tall man dressed in red topped with white spiky hair squatted on the edge of a cliff surrounded by a huge plain of grassland. He sung to himself quietly as he watched two pointy eared travelers quickly make their way over the horizon, running along the wall of the cliff he perched atop. Ban the undead crooked a brow at not only how rushed they seemed, but it appeared that they did not have the very person he was hunting. He'd been sure to follow the residual magic closely; much like a fox would sniff out a rabbit. How did those girls acquire the guy's "scent?" A smile cracked open on his face when he discerned that the bundle the stuffy little blunette was carrying was actually a princess that was _great_ to drink with.

The Fox Sin started tapping on his knee, sneaking a peek at the lovely readers; flashing them a wink as he finished his song and waited for the drow elves to begin passing by the edge of the cliff he waited at.

"We're rascals and scoundrels,  
"We're villains and knaves.  
"Drink up me hearties, yo ho.  
"We're devils and _foxes,_ we're really bad eggs.  
"Drink up me hearties, yo ho."

With but one more line left to his song (since he was far too impatient to bother learning the rest of it), he scooted off the high cliff and slid down without the slightest care to stay quiet. Landing just behind the girls lugging a princess with them, his smile grew broader when they jumped back like skittish sheep would when faced with a predator. Well... when in Rome...

The black haired elf, he couldn't quite remember her name, turned to face him, furrowing her brows and placing a hand on the hilt of her sword. The blunette, Jerhal (or something), turned as well, but she widened her eyes and jumped further back—as it should be when the Fox Sin comes to collect his drinking buddy.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me..."

"Guila!" Jamie (whatever) called out, "That's the Fox Sin! They're on to us!"

"But how!" Guila gasped, measuring the Sin standing there like he didn't even care that he'd just matched himself up with two of Prince Hendrickson's personal officers. She waved her partner off, "you must go! I will keep him at bay."

"But Guila, we already know that even one Sin could end us, we must—"

It was cute how Guila turned back to her comrade and said coolly, "We must succeed in this mission, Jericho, it is the only way our brothers can return home safely, now _GO!"_

The blunette pressed her lips together and nodded, "Be careful, Guila..." She grimaced at the situation she might be leaving her in, adjusted Elizabeth over her shoulder and took off in a flat out run.

Ban rolled his eyes and passed a look to the readers, "Can you believe this shit?" He then smirked at Guila, "her runnin off like that is gonna be a problem, see. I'm kinda stingy when it comes to my friends."

Raven hair fluttered in the breeze as his opponent drew her sword, "You shan't take the princess from us!"

"That's how it's gonna be, huh?" This was boring. Ban raised his hand toward the woman and she suddenly used both hands to cling to her sword.

"You're pulling my... your skill is Snatch? Inconceivable! Release my sword, bandit!"

"Can't release sumthin I don't have yet," Ban replied smugly.

^.~

Worry edged on Hawk's body language as he described how no one had been out when he'd tried get the villager's attention, "I'm telling ya, Meliodas! It was weird!"

The Dragon Sin looked deep in thought for only the span of a blink of an eye before he leapt over the counter just in time for Diane to come barreling back inside the pub, "Bad news, Captain! Looks like the town was attacked!"

Meliodas frowned, "I never sensed anything..."

Gowther tilted himself to look around Diane to peer at the captain, adjusting his glasses, "That is something that troubles me as well, Captain. Might I suggest we go see about the energy fluctuations to the south at this time?"

The demon lord was already spreading his Senses out, searching all surrounding areas. Gowther had been right, it was nearly 40 leagues from here. Had the drows been the attackers, they'd have had to high tail it out of there fast. Could it be true that they had managed to subdue King so _quickly_ though? Wait... what he could sniff out from King was so feint... _Is he hurt? ...but... where is Elizabeth...?_ How had he not felt them attack? Sensing nearby energies was child's play! If not the enemies, then he should have felt King defending Elizabeth. Meliodas frowned, they'd warned those elfkin to not come back—even simply allowed the soldiers of Liones to cast Guila in their prison. He could feel anger boiling up within him like magma making its way to a volcano's peek. "Let's go."

Diane watched Meliodas run past her followed by Gowther and she stomped her foot, "Whaddya talkin about?! We gotta go after _Ban_? _What about King and Elizabeth!"_ She groaned as the two Sins were already reaching the edge of the horizon and ran after them.

 _Please be safe, King!_

^.~

 _Elizabeth..._

 _My sweet girl... I have managed to shelter you for over 400 years. I am so sorry but I cannot any longer. You must find the strength within. Please, you mustn't give in to darkness! You are everything good in me!  
_ _Stay strong!  
_ _And...  
_ _WAKE UP!_

Pain! Unrelenting pressure on her wrists. Constant jostling of her torso—so much wind, so hard to move... was she being carried?

Squinting her eyes open, Elizabeth could see her wrists danging over the back of one of her kidnappers. She wore armor, Jericho must still be holding her.  
 _No! Not this time! I am the Siren Sin of the Seven Deadly Sins, and I will not just be carried off like a sack of produce!_

The woman was holding her loosely, still believing her to be unconscious. Good. With the speed her captor was moving at, the only thing Elizabeth could think to do was roll out of her arms... but what if it didn't work? Then Jericho would know she was awake and be much more wary—maybe even knock her out again.

 _Well, she's going to know the second I get loose anyway, so..._

Grimacing from the horrible ache in her wrists, the princess raised both hands to grab the blunette's ponytail and tugged, _hard._ As hard as she possibly could. Having long hair herself, she knew how potentially painful it could be and winced at the sudden piercing scream Jericho cried out. Elizabeth kept pulling though, sending her to the ground with the drow elf falling backwards.

Her vision darkened as she hit the unforgiving ground, and gasped when Jericho fell right on top of her. Nonetheless, Elizabeth kicked the groaning kidnapper off her and scrambled away a few precious feet before standing up and reaching for her bow.

 _Oh Goddesses, NO!_

Her bow! The bow her father had given her so long ago—she must have dropped it when Jericho knocked her out! Desperately needing a weapon, she searched her quiver... empty. The tiny knife she tended to keep was left in the purple boots back at the Boar Hat too, why couldn't she ever be prepared!?

Running was out of the question, she'd never get far with how fast this knight could go. So Elizabeth stood tall, trying to put a regal air on as she narrowed her eyes at the drow just now beginning to stand.

^.~

"Ah ha ha ha!" Ban reeled his head back laughing like a crazy person, blood trickling from not only his mouth but his right eye and arm too. "Naw, you were right! Letting you keep that sworda yours is waaay more fun!"

Guila frowned, "I do not believe I ever said anything of the sort..."

Wiping the blood from his mouth, the Fox Sin dug his heels into the ground as if he were about to sprint, "I ain't got anymore time for this, I gotta go catch Jellal before she makes it any farther with my drinkin buddy..."

"Your _drinking buddy?_ You mean you are not here at your captain's behest?"

"Not really..." He smirked, then stood up in a relaxed stance and twisted his middle to glance behind him for less than a moment, "but if ya wanna tell'em how great I did kickin your ass... then who am I to stop ya?"

Guila was completely taken aback by this man, he hadn't even laid a finger on her! Just... took her hits or dashed around them. What kind of imaginary world is he living in? Her brows raised, completely aghast at how his lips curled into a colossal and _creepy_ victorious grin as he seemingly said to no one, "Here he comes..."

Before she could blink, the Sin of Wrath himself flashed in next to the man who challenged her—though his dark expression and stance was a stark contrast to the Fox Sin's laid back, content posture. No... the Dragon Sin meant business.

The blonde's voice was low and menacing and though he stared daggers at her, it was assumed he spoke to Ban, "Where is Elizabeth?"

Ban rested his hands on his hips and cracked his neck in the direction Jericho went, "Jaywalker took off with her thata way."

And just like that, Meliodas was nothing but a breeze that flew by her so fast that she toppled to the ground.

"Of course..." She heard Ban say in a bored voice, "here comes Goat Man and the Fat Lady..." Guila looked up to see him walking away holding up a small glass bottle. "Got what I needed. Try to stop takin Elizabeth before Capt looses all his marbles, wouldja?"

The drow elf quickly made it to her feet to pursue him but before she could even take a step, that foot and then the other were suddenly swept up from under her. Wondering what had happened to her sense of gravity, Guila realized with a shiver that she was being held by the very pinkette that had held her captive only two nights ago. Releasing a gasp, she immediately tried to regain her feet but the Goat Sin held her firm as he turned to yet another Sin just now coming over the hill.

"Task complete. I am now in possession of the elf that Sir Ban was dueling."

"Where _did_ that lazy SOB wander off to anyway?" Diane grumbled before she narrowed her eyes at the Sin of Lust, "was that really the order that Captain gave you?"

Gowther tilted his head at her, "Of course it was, he ordered me to contain any hostiles we come across while he collects the princess."

There wasn't time for this! Diane strode up to the elf held in the Sin's arms and bent over her glaring, " _Where's King?"_

She could ask her as many questions as she wanted, but right at that moment, Guila was utterly unable to speak. Something about these Sins... especially the one holding her... she'd never felt so helpless. There just were no words.

^.~

The definition of anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility; however, wrath is much more simply defined as extreme anger, so long as anger is used as a synonym for hostility. Though all those words paled to how the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins' vision faded to red as his gaze fell on the sight of the drow knight grasping her cuffed prisoner by the hair and pulling her back to her feet. They'd warned them not to make a second attempt, he'd even saved them from the noose that Camelot's law would have surely led them to, yet still they sought to take Elizabeth from him. The more logical side of him knew that it was not a personal affront on him, but merely some unresolved political issue run morbid from the dark side of ambition...

But that side of Meliodas had been cast aside. Now all that stood was a demon dragon come to collect his princess.

 ***A/N: LUV! This is WAAAAAAY better than any meteor I could _possibly_ send Jerry-curl's way. **maniacal laugh** I hope you've learned your lesson (I luv you)! BALAINE BITCHES UNITE! XD***

Even now, with her face distorted in pain, fright and shame, she was still beautiful. Even at the sight of her bloodied wrists being locked in chains, his shadows couldn't help but concoct wild fantasies. "Elizabeth!"

Both elves froze when they heard his call. A mere moment later and Meliodas stood between the two, holding Jericho's hand in such a fashion that forced her to release Elizabeth. The drow stepped back involuntarily at the black inferno raging within the knight before her.

" **I told you not to come back.** " The voice of the demon echoed though there were no walls. His eyes were of the darkest jade and shadows licked out from his body. Elizabeth stared up at his backside from where she'd been pushed into the grass and she shook her head slowly at the immense power leaking from her knight.

"We, we, can, cannot stop..." the fear in Jericho was well placed and blatantly evident. "We have to bring the princess back with us."

The booming voice of the demon lord before her swung his arm, backhanding the girl. " **Then you will die.** "

Jericho screamed as his strike sent her pummeling to the ground ten feet away. Her eyes widened as she watched the blonde's eyes fill with hate and shadows pour from his form, some beginning to swirl and rest around the skin framing his eye. Die... he meant business. She was going to die! Quickly drawing her sword, Jericho pulled herself to her feet. "If I must die, then I will face my fate on both my feet!"

" **You will die** _ **exactly**_ **how I wish you to die.** " Meliodas took slow steps toward her, his fists trembling in the rage barely contained.

The bravery Jericho showed was commendable but ill advised. All the demon lord did was take one more step toward her and the sword she so valiantly held blew from her hands as though it were a feather overwhelmed by a gale. She whimpered—her only weapon gone, leaving her at the mercy of a demon with burning emerald eyes.

Elizabeth covered her mouth in horror when Meliodas kicked Jericho in her belly, bending her over his leg to get swung back into the dirt between herself and the Sin captain. Her face was down in a crater of green... and she was not pulling herself up this time. Looking back up to Meliodas, her heart lurched at his merciless gaze. His eyes were nothing but bottomless pools, all light from the sun swallowed in their depths. The shadows... they were fashioning themselves onto his body, under his clothes; they crept down his eye and peeked out to twist around his hand. The knight was walking back to the girl, still and bloodied, on the ground.

"No..." Elizabeth whispered to herself as she watched her sweet Meliodas once again lift up the drow elf. She didn't deserve this... no one deserved this, no matter their crime. How could she ever live with herself if she let him do this? Death should be seen as a release... not a punishment! She recalled what he'd said last time he'd spoke with Jericho.

" _I don't like killing."_

 _He may never forgive himself if I stand by and do nothing!_ Elizabeth thought to herself, rushing up to her feet and forcing herself to ignore the constant throbbing of her wrists. Meliodas now held Jericho under her chin above his head, choking the life out of her without even a change of expression. The way he was now... the poor drow elf seemed nothing more than a flea. "Sir Meliodas, stop!"

Jericho was already unconscious, but even still the demon squeezed. The shadows reached up to claim the hand he was killing her with. Elizabeth strangled down a sob and raced to him, tackling him with all her might but he did not budge, nor look at her. "Sir Meliodas!"

Elizabeth nibbled her lip, staring into his eyes as hers misted over. "You must stop, Meliodas!" She clutched his shirt and shook him but still he did not waver. The princess' ears wilted and she shook her head, pleading for a way to reach him. "You must come back, this isn't you!" Fear ebbed into her more when the shadows began to consume even more of his face, was she loosing him right before her eyes? Is this the demonic wrath legends spoke of? And he gave up all his precious hold on it because of her...?

"I cannot loose you like this! It is too much to bear! You swore you would protect me and you have, but I still need you!" She shook him more, though she may as well have been trying to move a statue. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she pressed a hand lightly to his cheek with their noses brushing, "Please... please come back to me... Meliodas..."

With cheeks dusted to the tint of a pink rose, Elizabeth leaned her lips to his... and everything suddenly happened at once. A pale version of Jericho crumpled to the ground as the demon lord released her, placing the murderous hand to Elizabeth's back instead. His other hand, still decorated in a mesmerizing pattern of shadow, buried itself deep into her hair and held the back of her head forcefully as the Demon Lord Meliodas sought a prize much more worthy of his efforts. With shadows beginning to envelop both of them, he delved his tongue deeply into a mouth that had been closed before his intrusion to taste the sweet Elizabeth placed right before him. Meliodas moaned in her whimper while he drank her in. The Sin of Wrath consumed her utterly and was only encouraged when his offering began to hold him tighter. For a moment, the swirls of shadow engulfed the both of them completely, leaving nothing but a silhouette of their embrace.

Then came a blinding light that could be seen even from the walls of Camelot, casting the darkness from the two of them as Elizabeth began returning the Sin captain's hunger. As the two of them clung to the taste and feel of the other, the power of light and shadow pressed and twisted around them. Gravity failed them as the magic battle for supremacy reflected the lustful kiss and their feet lifted from the ground. Elizabeth moaned past Meliodas' lips and dug her nails into his shoulder as the other continued to caress his cheek with gentle fingers. The demon merely kept his hands where they were at her back and head, pressing her body as close as possible to his, letting out a predatory growl.

Such a kiss as this was not ended willingly. When the powers mingling around them began to both shift to shades of gray, Meliodas, captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, Sin of Wrath and Elizabeth, Princess of Liones and Siren Sin of Seduction, began flickering. Their entire bodies would disappear only to reappear, still locked in their embrace... until the both of them just completely... vanished.

When Diane and Gowther came upon the odd flash of light and enormous amounts of fluctuating power, all they found was a crater in the grassland, and a nearly dead drow elf lying near its edge.

* * *

 **THAT'S ALL FOLKS!**

 **Oh! Wait a min, that's NOT all! Our comments surpassed my lucky number! Thanx you guys! Here's that extra dialogue I'm sure you dun wanna read after an ending like that! XD**

Diane: *fuming* Where the HELL is King?

Gowther: *still holding a speechless Guila* I am not sensing him, nor the captain or the princess.

Diane: So what was the deal with that crazy light?

Gowther: My deductions conclude that it was two opposites occupying the same space.

Diane: _Huh?_

Gowther: Simply put, both sides were canceled out, thus the nothing that is here.

Diane: _What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?! Where's the captain? Where's Elizabeth? WHERE'S KING?!_

Gowther: *confused* I do not understand the tone you are speaking with. Is this the emotion known as excitement, or fear?

Diane: Ugh! Neither one you freak!

Gowther: I have read that sometimes women act irrational when they are in love, is it perhaps love that is hindering your ability to speak calmly?

Diane: *blushes wildly as does Guila* NO!

Gowther: *shakes his head in defeat. Alas, his efforts to define emotions correctly ends in failure again* Then may I suggest we go after Sir Ban? He is the only other Sin I can sense in the nearby area.

Diane: _DAMNIT! Where the hell did everyone GO!?_

Gowther: *looks down at Jericho* I presume the captain would like us to properly detain the prisoners too...

 **All for you  
** **my lovelies.  
** _ **Seriphia, aka Lick.**_

 _ **;P**_


	23. Uninvited Guests

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
** **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
** **3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
** **4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
** **5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
** **6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
** **7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
** **8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
** **9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **Lickins here! Your lickins go HERE!**

 **BettyDearest : Where oh where did they go? HMMMM? :D  
** **C0c0kitty** **: Ya dead? I gots the T-virus... real handy reanimating dead stuff.  
** **CalCal** **: XD lol! I did alternate dimension lemon for my other fic just the other day, so... not sure if I'd do it again just yet. We'll see,** ** _READ ON! *_ halo*  
** **Stormie : Of course it would take you for me too realize just how awesome Ban is even when I'm the one who wrote it. XD I just get in the BAN ZONE and well, the rest goes over my head. I LUV YOU GURL!  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: Speechless but screaming. Hmm, I could totally write a song titled that if someone could divvy up a punk rock tune for it! I like it!  
** **PippEluuuu** **: YAAY! Hi! *LICK* Seri missed youuu! Now, now, nownownow, sing with me!** ** _Where oh where has our Meliii gooone, of where oh where can he beeee?  
_** **TailGatomonX3** **: More dead? Hmm... I'm gonna have to up my T-virus supply sooner than I thought! *nudge with foot* Alright. You may feel a SLIGHT case of zombification, but it's better than deterioration.  
** **Dea** **: Yeeeees! Devour her Mel... complete mastication. Mmmmm... Diane? King? Ban? HMM? Oh Gowther... *le sigh* Luv ya gurl! (Ban and Rikku say hi!) AAAANNND. we'll never know unless we try! ;D  
** **MyLuv** **: Game on? Alright! I CHALLENGE THEE TO HOCKEY! MWAHAHAHA! *sooo going to loose, but wants to take that loss JUST to get to tackle Luv as brutally as the Lick wants... again, and again, and again and again. Mmmm, hard luvin for Luv.  
** **NoMnOmDom** **: Yaaaaas to the weird things! YAAAS! No one here should possibly expect the Dom to have a** ** _normal_ response. You're like me with the hard and rough (and the miss the misery) luv. Ummmmmmmm... not gonna say more... here. CALL ME! XD  
** **FoxBlossom** **: Well, first Diane's gonna have to get him to let go of the bottle... and that's only if she can get over the initial shock of him actually being... bottled. ROFL HAH! I has a fairy in a bottle!  
** **yojimbo** **: o.o Well it sure as hell didn't escalate quickly for me! Been waiting** ** _FOREVER!_ XD And Ban? Hmm... I dunno, me and him aren't speaking currently.  
** **Laetificant** **: Yay! A new friend! Hazzah! Welcome to ure first licking! Ahh... the deflowering! *lick, lick lick!*  
** **L-chan** **: Kingless Diane! Ahahahaha! Oh man I wonder how long I can stretch this out! I HAS A FAIRY IN A BOTTLE! XD  
** **L-chan** **: Indeed, lol, Elaine is still at the lake. ^.^  
** **HinaLuvLuvChan** **: Oh how it tingles me when someone tells me that I'm their first. Puuuuuuurrrrr... I raised the bar huh? Well, I'mma gonna have to point the three luvs of my life out to ya, cuz they be writing amazing Melbeth's too, OH, and DoubleLSM is a collab account of all four of us. THAT story is a M rated trip! Kehehe, 2** **nd chappie's almost done!**

 **Aaaaand... JUST to make SURE there is no misunderstanding, not only did I alter my *A/N* comment to myLuv, but I am also clarifying here. I was NOT calling her sumthin mean, I was playfully teasing to make her giggle. I _luv_ my Luv.**

Uninvited Guests

" _You... you should not be here."_

The voice within his head felt distorted, _he_ felt disoriented. Weary. Meliodas looked around as though in a fog and could see nothing but white. Then pale outlines of two women, and a few four long-legged creatures, one with strange lines protruding from its head slowly formed from the haze. What had happened? He'd had Elizabeth in his arms, hadn't he? ...Tasted her sweet lips. Had it been a dream? He wanted to go back to sleep. What is this place? Where was Elizabeth?

" _He is not worthy, YOU MUST LEAVE!"_ There is was, that same voice, dripping with venom.

" _Calm yourself Tay'lanni. This is the one she chose to walk with."_

That caught the Sin captain's attention. He turned back to the outlined figures with a raised brow, "If you're talking about Elizabeth," his voice sounded odd, like an echo in his own head. "Then you oughta call her by her name. Hmm, or better yet, just don't talk about her at all."

One of the does hissed, " _You shall not speak, Demon!"_

Both the women raised their hands to hush the creature, then the slightly shorter one spoke. With a voice like soft petals brushing against his skin, it reminded him of someone. " _Elizabeth... yes. She still walks a righteous path, despite the nefarious tragedy darkness has wrought on Baltra. I do believe that I have you to thank for that."_

Meliodas slipped his hands into his pockets and made no motion to agree or disagree. How had he gone from heaven on earth to here? He had no wish to speak with Goddesses or Ascended, even if this was just a dream. Or... could her kiss have actually killed him?

Hmm. What a way to go.

" _Sister,"_ spoke the other outline of a person, here in this land of white, _"I do believe he already wishes to return."_ Did she... giggle?

" _Yes of course. Meliodas... do be careful mixing your powers with hers. As I'm sure you can see, it has unpredictable consequences."_

~.~

" _ **IT'S HEEEEEER!** "_

" _ **The one who can conquer both light and dark!** "_

" _ **SHE WALKS WITH MELIODAS!** "_

Several voices in a pit of blackness hiss all at once. This felt far too much like a dream she'd once had. A nightmere. Elizabeth had thought she was scared before? Well it was nothing compared to what she was now. What had happened to Sir Merliodas? Why wasn't he with her any longer?

" _ **Such a simple thing to kill him in his sleep. Such a simple thing for the Tay'daishar!**_ _"_

" _ **YES! KILL HIM! KILL THE TRAITOR!**_ _"_

" _ **Kill Meliodas!**_ _"_ Laughter bubbled up from all around her, a frighteningly eerie laughter. " _ **Slay the demon and bathe in his blood!**_ _"_

" _ **SUCH A LOVELY SIGHT!**_ _"  
_

" _ **Kill him!**_ _"  
_

" _ **HALF DROW DOUSED IN THE BLOOD OF OUR TRAITOR. KILL HIM!**_ _"  
_

" _ **CUT OUT HIS HEART!**_ _"  
_

" _ **Drink in his blood!** "  
_

" _ **KILL HIM!**_ _"_

Elizabeth covered her ears and shut her eyes tight, but the images the voices sent straight into her soul pierced through even closed eyes.

 _She straddled Meliodas on the bed they shared, his body glistening in a sickly red. She smiled down at his lifeless eyes and licked the blood from the knife in her hands as her multicolored eyes both filled in with red._

 _His blood tasted sooooo_ good...

It wasn't real! That isn't real! Where was Meliodas? Oh Goddesses, what is happening?!

" _ **DEATH TO THE TRAITOR!**_ "

" _ **Take his power and come to us!** "_

" _ **TAY'DAISHAR TO CLAIM OUR REVENGE! BE REBORN IN HIS BLOOD,**_

" _ **KILL  
**_ " _ **KILL  
**_ " _ **KILL  
**_ " _ **KILL!** "_

Her screams were swallowed by the demonic orders of the many spiteful voices around her.

^.~

Diane pulled the rope tight behind Jericho's back with an assertive grunt. There was no telling when the sorry excuse for a kidnapper would wake up but when she did, Diane had every intention that she was going learn what being at the mercy of the Seven Deadly Sins meant.

Gowther stood off to the side in the Boar Hat with her, watching her curiously with Guila still lying complacently in his arms. "Are you sure it is wise to leave me here with the pig? Should we not search out the Captain and Elizabeth?"

" _No!_ " Diane was more than frustrated. "You're going to stay here with these two while I go find King." She stomped over to the drow that Gowther held bridal style and grabbed a fist of her hair, forcing her to turn to her with a gasp.

Then the shrunken giantess was startled by the strength of which the Goat Sin grabbed her hand, removing it from Guila's head with ease. Diane looked at him with surprise and hitched her breath when she saw the glint in his eyes. Those eyes never blinked as he said, "Refrain from touching my captive, Lady Diane."

Such simple words sent the Serpent Sin fuming. "Ugh! Damnit!" She bent over the drow elf instead of contesting Gowther's actions. "Just tell me where King is!"

"It would be in your best interests to comply, Lady Guila." The Sin of Lust said to her lowly.

The elf's ears wilted under his voice. She shivered and shook her head to try and clear her mind. "Um... It was, the... Fox Sin of Greed. I had him, but... Ban the Undead took him from me."

Diane raised a brow, "Whaddya _mean_ 'took him?'"

^.~

"Ahh-choo!" Ban rubbed his nose with a smirk and raised the bottle he'd pilfered up, bringing a sulking miniature Sin of Sloth to his face. "Man, you know when a guy like me is sneezin, it only means that someone's talkin 'bout me. Heh."

The bandit shook his head at King's obvious demands for release with great humor. "No way. This is just too great. First Grappling, then a fairy in a bottle? Maaaan, I make Link's adventures look easy!" He shook the bottle, tussling a disgruntled fairy about. "You gonna pop outta there and revive me when I run outta hearts, little guy?"

At the confused look King gave him, Ban reeled his head back and laughed, "Yea, you're right, like _I'D_ ever run outta hearts! HAH!"

He kept walking back the way he'd come with the small corked bottle in hand and began to sing contently,

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest,  
"Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum."

This was great. Things couldn't have been more perfect! Ban quickened his pace with a foxy grin plastered all over his face.

"Drink and the devil had done for the rest,  
"Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!"

^.~

Meliodas woke to the soul wrenching scream of the elf next to him. He darted up and scanned the area only to find they were alone in the middle of the night in the very sea of grass he'd come to find her at. Only, now Elizabeth was sitting in that grass clutching her head and wailing to the heavens. With no danger near, the Sin captain lowered to his knees and grabbed her shoulders. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth!"

" _No, no no! I won't! I cannot!_ " The cuffs she'd had on her wrists were gone, leaving torn and bloodied skin in its wake.

His heart lurched when she shook free from him and began kicking at the ground in front of her. At first he thought she was kicking at him, but closer inspection showed that she was kicking at a curved blade lying in the grass between his legs. The Dragon Sin hissed at the wicked thing that was too small to be a short sword, but longer than the typical dagger and too curved to be a machete. He knew that blade far too well...

Leaping from it like it was a poisonous snake, he let her kick it away before he dropped back to his knees. Placing more gentle hands on the princess who was now sobbing and hugging herself frantically, the captain tried speaking more softly. "Elizabeth, what happened? How did you...?" His words stopped when she opened her eyes, her rune eye glowing brightly just before she fell, limp, in his arms.

What the hell happened?

He contemplated the happenings of the day while holding the princess securely in his arms. The quiet seemed so foreboding with nothing but the echo of her screams ringing in his ear. Finding himself utterly spent... he decided it unwise to keep her out in the open like this. Meliodas lifted her up with all the tender care he could muster and kissed her forehead lightly, "You're safe now, Elizabeth..." If he'd been transported out of this dimension momentarily, could she have been too? Hazel eyes fell back on the ground to the sinuous weapon on the ground. He'd gone to the Goddess' Realm, could it be that she...?

Cutting the horrid thought off abruptly, Meliodas lifted his wrist to his mouth and ripped his sleeve free from his arm. With the fabric acting as a glove, he lifted the weapon up by the blade. It was time to go home—and perhaps hide this horrible thing under the Boar Hat's planks.

His return to the Boar Hat was greeted with a frantic giantess pacing outside, full size and terribly impatient. Diane looked over to him and sighed with relief before switching back to frantic as Tay'moraad ran to them, nuzzling Elizabeth's hair worriedly.

"Where the _hell_ have you been? You know King is still missing right?" Diane frowned, "And with us babysitting kidnappers, I can't go get him!"

The captain tilted his head, "King hasn't come back yet, huh?"

"NO!" Diane stomped her foot, shaking the ground and everything on it, "and I wanna know WHY!"

"Hmm." Meliodas was in no mood to placate to her temper right at that moment and walked into the pub, his only glance was a reassuring nod to Elizabeth's concerned stag.

"Captain?" The Serpent Sin asked at his retreating back, " _Captain!"_

Inside wasn't any better. Holding Elizabeth and the blade carefully, he first saw a hog tied Jericho lying motionless on the ground with Hawk sitting on top of her, then Gowther and Guila sitting quietly at the corner table that the Sin typically sat at. The drow's wrists were tied and she'd been disarmed at least. He narrowed his eyes at them and gave Gowther one more order as he headed up the stairs, "No one leaves."

The Goat Sin simply replied, "Yes of course, Captain."

Hawk called after him but Meliodas just shook his head towards the pig and kept walking.

Finally in the safety of his room, Meliodas tossed the hated weapon far into the corner, the sound of it clattering to the ground ringing in his ears before he could put it out of his mind. He carefully crawled onto the bed and laid Elizabeth onto the mattress gently with a sigh. Feeling her forehead just to be sure, he nodded to himself, relieved that she was not feverish. Meliodas relaxed onto the bed next to her and moved silver hair from her face, "No matter what they told you, I swear I will always be here for you. I'm so sorry, Elizabeth."

Diane peeked into the room from the window. "...Captain? Is everything alright?"

Raising his head slightly, Meliodas reminded himself that Diane was simply worried. All of them must be. Lifting his weary body back up from the bed, the blonde walked to the window and opened it. He was so tired... "It will be, Diane. I just..." he glanced back at the silverette breathing softly on his bed. "I just think I need to rest. Please ask Hawk to tell his mom to continue on to Camelot. I want to make it past the castle walls as soon as possible. Those two down there over-powered King and Elizabeth way too easily and I'm gonna find out how... later." It was astounding how hard it was getting to keep his eyes open. "Just don't let them outta your sight." Meliodas knew he should be more concerned about those two, but he just couldn't find the energy.

The giantess' face melted to sympathetic. She hadn't seen him exhausted like this in quite some time. What had happened? If King really was with Ban—she supposed it would wait until morning. "Oh... um, alright Captain. Will do."

Meliodas smiled and turned back to the bed, murmuring, "Thanks Diane," and plopped unceremoniously on the bed with an arm draped over Elizabeth. He was damn sure going to know if she got up...

^.~

Early morning had Ban feeling just a tad grumpy—so he got rather excited when he came by a town being raised by miscreants. The dark sky was ablaze from buildings being set on fire and screams filled the air. He felt the bottle in his pocket rumble and he rolled his eyes, "Yea, yea... I'm goin, yesh."

The sky was still dark when Ban the undead strolled into the panicked streets. Men on horseback were calling out, _"Glory to the one true king! Punish the followers of the false King Arthur!"_

"King Kay! King Kay!"

Ban's eyes trailed to the side when one of the criers called him out, pointing his sword at him and everything. Didn't his mom ever tell him how rude shit like that was? "You! Kneel before the might of King Kay and maybe I'll spare your miserable life!"

A brow raised even though Ban didn't bother to give the man full eye contact, "Why would I do that when I don't even do that for the real king? Sounds kinda dumb ta me..."

The knight did not need anymore encouragement. He rode his horse up to the Sin and skewered him, widening Ban's eyes as the sword slipped right through his chest. The shit hurts! ...Not that he was gonna cry about it or anything... The knight had intended to ride on by pulling his sword free, but Ban grinned and grasped the sword, looking back up to the man, "Now that wasn't very nice..."

Liberating this town was going to be _fun..._

He pulled the knight from where he sat on his high horse and stomped his head right into the ground. "Hah! That's how you kill a man... idiot."

Ban pulled the man's sword from his chest and tossed it into the back of another knight going after a small boy trying to be brave with a short sword. He loosened Courechouse from his belt and started his attack with a wicked grin. All around the small village, Sir Kay's knights were suddenly being unhorsed. A red and white demon ran about the fires cackling as he sent his weapon out. Courechouse swept out in a fury, teaching Kay's knights that preying on the weak would only lead them down the road of ruin; well, those lucky enough to leave with their lives. It didn't take long before he stood by watching the villagers put out the flames, and the curious sight of an elf taking out the last knight before he could set fire to an elderly couple's house.

As the elf pulled his sword from the man, Ban nodded to him, "Not bad."

The elf grimaced, his face warping in pain as he fell to his knees. A brow raised when Ban caught the tint to the man's ears. "A drow elf... all the way out here?"

The boy he'd helped earlier ran to him, "Gustaf! Gustaf!" Hmm, the kid had pointy ears too.

The older couple also made their way to the kneeling man who was getting back to his feet, waving the smaller boy away. His voice grumbled out, "Damnit Zeal! I told you to stay in the house."

"How could I?" There were tears in the young blond kid's eyes, he must be one of those passionate types. "Those creeps were gonna burn everything! You're not the only one who can protect, and I don't have a hurt leg like you!"

Gustaf frowned, his short, light blue hair tangled from the skirmish. "You've still got a lot of training to endure before you can do much more than run away."

Ban wasn't much for ease dropping, so he walked up and planted a hand on top of the boy's head and smiled, "Don't be too hard on the kid, it takes someone pretty damn brave to take on someone twice his size!"

 _Like the fuckin captain every time he thinks he can take me. Heh.  
_ _Mental note: Call him short next time I see him._

The elderly woman looked up at the Sin and smiled sweetly, "I saw you out there, Sir Knight. You saved our town, thank you so much!"

"Saved it? Pah!" Cried out the crabby old man next to her, "looked to me like he was jest spreadin the fire!"

Ban just smiled wider as his wife led him back inside. Once they were out of sight, he narrowed his eyes at the man before him. The guy looked pretty battle weathered, "So... whatsa coupla drows doing in these necka the woods?"

Gustaf frowned, and the boy ran out from under Ban's hand to support him. The kid then yelled at the Sin, "What's it to you? Gustaf is a veteran and he can retire anywhere he wants!"

"Haha!" The Fox Sin laughed, "easy there, kid. We ask questions to learn, not to get screamed at."

Gustaf looked over the man in front of him, and all but gagged when he noticed the tattoo of a fox on his left side, just above his hip, "You! You're a Sin!" He looked back up into Ban's eyes and growled, "what have you done with Jericho?"

 _Weeeell... Cat's outta the bag, folks. Time to be on my way, wouldn't want you readers to think I'm heartless enough to beat-up a gimp and a kid.  
_ _...Even if they started it._

"Whatever man..." Ban rolled his eyes. "Pretty soon you're gonna see a big fat pig comin through here. Ask the guys on it what they know about her." With a wink to the kid, he turned around, "I'm outta here."

^.~

Elizabeth's eyes opened to unfamiliar voices on the floor below her, whatever dream she'd been having slipping from memory. The jostling of the bed must have meant that Hawk's mother was walking. Fearing the pub was missing their waitress, Elizabeth groaned and moved to sit up (not realizing the tavern couldn't possibly be open while Mama Pig walked, still being half asleep), but a heavy arm kept her pinned. Blinking, she looked to her side to see Meliodas sprawled out on the bed next to her with an arm tucked firmly just below her breasts. She smiled at the way his head was buried into the pillow, still sleeping soundly.

A blush rose in her cheeks when she suddenly recalled all the emotions that had welled up inside her when she'd kissed him—trying to calm his rage. His ferocity... her cheeks only turned redder the more she remembered.

A bang was heard from downstairs, blessedly giving her a much needed distraction from her temptation to kiss him again and she nudged Meliodas, trying to get out from under his arm. The Sin captain grunted and lifted his hand up to her breast, squeezing gently, the princess froze under his hand and her breaths grew heavy. "Sir, Sirrrrr Meliodas! Urrr, wake up!"

A handsome green eye peeked open and she could see his lips raise in a smile, "Good morning, Elizabeth."

She could hear Hawk yelling now, and a slightly familiar feminine voice respond in kind. "Something... uh!" Goddesses! His hand was massaging her breast now. "There is something happening downstairs, we should go down and check on things."

Meliodas lifted his hand up to stroke her cheek, looking at her with dark green eyes. "Yea, I guess you're right." He sat up and took off his ripped shirt, then dived back onto the bed to hover over the flustered princess who yelped out in surprise, "but then we're gonna have a talk about what happened yesterday."

It took every bit of her will power not to bite her lip as she muttered out, "Ye, ye, yeesterday...?"

"Mmhmm." He smiled mischievously as though he knew her wish to bite her lip and stared deeply into her eyes. After he must have examined every nook and cranny there, Meliodas nodded to himself and got up to get a fresh shirt. Elizabeth's gaze followed him as he walked and despite her efforts, she reminisced about the way he'd felt pressed against her again. He'd held her so tightly... drove his tongue in so deeply...

These were the thoughts consuming her as she zoned out on toned muscles stretching over battle worn skin until it was viciously robbed from her by the new shirt. Quickly diverting her eyes when he turned back to her as he buttoned his shirt, she slowly slunk out of the bed. She began smoothing her hair down nervously in an attempt to forget that she'd just been devouring Meliodas with her eyes. However, that same chuckle had her swinging the silver hair in order to look at him from over her shoulder.

He was placing his vest on, watching her shamelessly, "You look beautiful, Elizabeth," and opened the bedroom door, motioning her to walk out with him.

Fighting away another blush, the princess nodded, "Er, um, yes, thank you, Sir Meliodas." She quickly scampered by him, much too shy to meet his gaze and headed downstairs.

The room had two new faces in it. One, a youthful boy practically bouncing off the walls, two, the stern face of a soldier sitting at a table speaking with one of her kidnappers. Elizabeth gasped when she saw Jericho and Guila. They were here? In her home?

The scene was a little funny though, Hawk was chasing around the little blonde boy who was running about, exploring the pub. Didn't Sir Hawk know that all he was doing was initiating a game of 'Catch me if you can'?

Gowther stood at his captain's arrival and placed his hands behind his back, "Good morning Captain, Princess. Upon passing a town that reports say was rescued by Sir Ban, there were two men inquiring about the two women we have acquired recently."

Meliodas quirked a brow, folding his arms. "So you let them in?"

With a tilt of his head, Gowther replied, "My instructions were that no one leaves."

The Sin captain found himself missing King and Ban. Never was it ever wise to leave Gowther's sort of logic in charge of anything...

"Sir Ban rescued a town...?" Elizabeth queried thoughtfully.

Suddenly, the small blonde drow was pulling at her skirt with the biggest, brightest smile. "The guy with spiky hair? Yea! He was like, HA! HIYAH! HAHAHA!" The child did the most adorable interpretation of the Fox Sin that she would probably ever see in her life.

Meliodas squatted down in front of him, "Hiya! What's your name?"

The boy stopped and his gray tinted ears wilted slightly. Elizabeth noticed Guila gripping her fists as the Sin conversed with him. The child said, "I'm... I'm Zeal."

"Zeal huh? And you're visiting these two here?"

"You mean your two prisoners of war?" The man sitting with Jericho grunted, "yes he is, as am I."

Meliodas glanced at the light haired drow and stood back up, "Well, I'm kinda at a loss of what to do with them now. They've made it clear that we can't just let them go."

Zeal pulled at Meliodas' shirt, "But Mister, I just wanna be with my sister. Please don't make us leave!"

"Your sister, huh?"

Both Elizabeth and Meliodas looked up to Guila, who visibly sat up straighter with a frown.

"Heya Hawk? Wouldja mind playing with little Zeal here for a little longer?"

"Sure!" Hawk pawed at the ground, and just like that the two were chasing each other around again.

The Sin captain came to sit at the same table as Jericho and the man who was obviously her brother, eyeing them both suspiciously. He motioned Gowther to bring Guila as Elizabeth took the seat next to him. When the other two sat, Meliodas made sure to keep a close eye to ensure the women's hands stayed bound, and where he could see them.

The three Sins just sat there, eyeing the three drows and Jericho decided she should speak first. "Umm... you have every right to want to kill us, but I feel I should let you know... that we only tried to take the princess again because of the danger our brothers were placed in after we failed in our first attempt."

Meliodas' glowered at the blunette, "I guarantee that you will fail _every_ time you try to take Elizabeth, so I think you should come up with another way to make your family safe."

Jericho gritted her teeth and Guila shushed her before she said, "What she means is, is that Prince Hendrickson does not accept failure. After facing his fury, we thought it wise to bring our brothers—the only two people we have left to call family—here, where they could not be used as a tool to punish us further."

"But we needed to try and get them home..." Jericho lowered her eyes, and her ears lowered with them. "Not many people accept drows with open arms."

Her brother laid a hand over hers and spoke lowly, "Jeri... as far as I'm concerned, I have no wish to return home under the kingdom's current tyranny. Both the king and prince toss soldiers everywhere with no concern over the lives lost. We can make a home here."

Meliodas' brow rose. This man was clearly a veteran, yet he spoke of leaving? Just what was going on in the drow's government?

" _Gustaf!"_ Guila hissed, "and abandon King and country?"

Elizabeth jumped when the man pounded his fist on the table, glaring back at the dark haired drow, "You cannot abandon someone that has already abandoned you! Our king has lost his senses, and our prince never had much of it. There is far more to being a ruler than a crown!"

"As of right now..." Meliodas drawled under half-lidded eyes, "it's either abandon your quest, or see the less forgiving side of my wrath."

Jericho shivered and Elizabeth nibbled her lip. When it all came down to it, it was her that they'd wronged... and she needed to close the issue. She took a deep breath, praying for a steady voice, "I have no intention of entertaining the idea of going to Prince Hendrickson." Elizabeth stared into Jericho's, then Guila's eyes in turn. "Forcefully or voluntarily, now..." This was it, she absolutely had to sound like the princess she was.

 _No. I must sound like the Siren Sin..._

"To the matter of your crimes against me." She sighed and leaned back, seemingly unconcerned, "If you truly do have a death wish... then come for me again." Elizabeth's eyes darted from one to the other, "I doubt even I could calm the Dragon Sin after another attempt. As a matter of fact... I don't think I'd even care to try.

"However," Elizabeth leaned forward again, resting her straight back on her forearms. "I _do_ wish to shorten the gap between your people and mine." She paused, choosing her words carefully, "and an endeavor such as that cannot start by slaughtering soldiers who were simply following orders." Then through narrowed eyes she added, "even if those orders led them to commit horrible crimes that she will make efforts to atone for, for the rest of her life."

Meliodas listened intently to the elven princess speak. This was a woman who did not want to be queen? She wove words like others danced with blades. There was much more to Merlin naming her the Siren Sin than simply his attraction to her. He could see her speech weighing down on the drow's features like a written book. First she implied that their actions were leading them down a certain path of complete destruction, then she offered them hope. Not only hope for themselves, but hope for their people and country. Then she continued on, buying their loyalty by not only reminding them of their crimes and guilt, but by offering them forgiveness. This brought him pause—so much that he almost interrupted her, but he chose to trust the direction of the Siren's song and was glad for it.

Somehow, she had them agreeing to stay in Camelot under protected custody (of course) until the Sins called for their aid where they would be able to live peacefully with their families. Come the end, she had the stern looking Jericho bouncing in her seat at the prospect of a new home, and Guila enchanted at having her young brother somewhere far from Hendrickson.

Meliodas found himself rather charmed for that matter as well. Hmm, he supposed it was no secret that this siren could even charm a dragon.

His own personal dragon charmer. Hmm.

When Elizabeth finally stood, she smiled to them all in turn before saying she was going out for some fresh air—air that Meliodas had every intention of joining her for. He lagged back for a moment after she left though to give Gowther another look. A look that implied that his order still stood. No one leaves.

He needed to make sure he remembered to have a talk with Arthur about these prisoners of war.

When Meliodas walked out, he was immediately lifted up into Diane's waiting fingers. She glared at him, "When do we get to the part where we find out what's taking King so long?"

Meliodas caught a glimpse of Elizabeth sitting on Mama Pig's head, speaking elvish; thus the blonde begrudgingly decided she should have some privacy before smiling up at the disgruntled giantess. "As soon at we park the Boar Hat at the castle and get you shrunk again."

Diane's frown turned upside down, "Really? Yay! I can't wait!"

"Oh! And see about Jericho and Guila's room and board."

Her smile faltered, "...Seriously?"

"Hmm... and maybe after a _nice_ warm bath."

Diane squeezed him and scoffed, " _Captain!"_

* * *

 **I hope yall are all having a wonderful spring break! It's AWESOME not having to get the girls ready for school! Wooo! So what did I do with the extra time? Busted my balls to get another chappie out asap! BAN'S BACK! YAY! (He's my fave... *swoon*)**

 **You guys graced me with the lucky number 13 and THEN some again, but I got NUTHIN prepared! o.o I, um, I... Ah screw it, I'm wingin it CUZ I LUV YOU!**

* * *

Ban: *holds King-filled bottle up to face* So how'd you get stuck in that damn thing anyway?

King: *glowers at Fox Sin*

Ban: What?

King: …...

Ban: Tch. Alright, fine. Won't even try to talk huh? So listen to this, Grizzly.

Ban: Whaddya call a soggy wet bear?

King: *growing irritated*

Ban: A Drizzly Grizzly! HAH! Ok ok ok ok, another! Whaddya call a bear with no teeth?

King: *visibly yelling at the Fox Sin's dumb smirk*

Ban: *starts laughing before he even starts talking* A _gummy bear!_ HAH!

King: *face-palms*

Ban: Ok, ok, I've been savin this one for sooo long... alright, now listen to this. *already laughing* Whaddya, heh heh, whaddya call two, _hehe,_ whaddya call two polar bears jerking each other off? *officially cackling his ass off while he walks, talking to a bottle* *KraZie...*

King: *trying reeeeally hard not to blush, as he does not do well with ANY sort of dirty joke*

Ban: *bending over, trying to get out the answer between laughs*

 _Bi-polar!  
_ _AHAhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!_

King: *thinks: just kill me now...*

Ban: *has like a million bear jokes stocked up just for such an occasion as this!*

 **Just for you, my lovelies**

 _ **Seriphia  
**_ _ **aka  
**_ _ **Lick**_

 _ **;p**_


	24. Lineage

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!  
** **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
** **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
** **3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
** **4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
** **5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
** **6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
** **7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
** **8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
** **9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **Lickins here!**

 **ScarletLoveliness** **: *lick lick!* Foreshadowing? What is this foreshadowing you speak of? *pretends to google it and LIES* Nope! Not here, now dun just go around makin up words you, you, schilynillyblart! XD Have a good night my Lovely!  
** **BettyDearest : Hmmm... that's uh, VERY intuitive BettyDear! o.o There be disadvantages to having the lickings up here! I must NOT COMMENT! But I love you!  
** **PippElulu : ROFL! Yea, probably not the best way to end their first kiss, but you can bet Meli will be hell bent on a 'do over' Hehehe!  
** **Stormie** **: Oh, oh oh oh oh REALLY? English huh? You want pokey pokey penetration stuff? Huh, HUH!? WELL READ ON WOMAN. Read on!  
** **Dom** **: I should hope I've made Ban's intentions fairly obvious for anyone who's read the side story. XD I will not stop! And yea... I stand by my previous statement that this chappie is... Dome approved.  
** **MyLuv** **: IKR! I was telling that dirty bear joke all the rest of the day! XD I imagine ure blush and it makes me smile... you really oughta reconsider that hot tub proposal. We'll make a day of it at Dom's nudie spa. ;D  
** **WoundedOwl** **: kehehe... they never said** ** _everytime_ , they just said to be careful mixing powers. *grin* you just never know WHAT may happen. And YES, the practice makes perfect line is totally Meliodas. You took the words right outta the horse's mouth right there! XD  
** **EarthenKnightInShiningArmor** **: I agree! Holy shit, I recently read a manga chappie that made me grin HUGE too! She converts baddies in canon every now and then too! YAY! NAILED IT!  
** **Wind-upGod** **: Ure like Ban huh? Well, lemme just go and head your way so I can give you a much more intimate licking. I am (if ya can't tell) a bit of a Ban fiend. Puuuuurrrrr!  
** **Dea** **: NO LICKS!?** ** _Whaaaaa?_ Ah yes, review is in pm *looks* Meanie? _Whaaaa?_ Ban? Bottle? I just have nooo idea what ure talkin 'bout! No bandits or bottles 'round here! Insane giantess tho... check! Thanku for resending it via pm tho! Wouldn't have wanted to miss you callin me a meanie! ;p *LICK*  
** **RounJ** **: Short end of the stick, XD YUP! The knights of Liones will be in the story more as it progresses. I have a pretty big web to spin here, and it includes many chars I've hardly touched on. And yes, I LOVE GAMAGE! Zelda is definitely one of my all time favorites. Hehe!  
** **L-chan** **: COLD! Oh no! *wraps u up and tries to nurse u back to health but is so damn bad at it that I probably cause more damage than good* I think the site may have been hiccuping, cuz ure not the only one who was having trouble getting the review button to behave. BUT your effort is appreciated and I luv, luv, luv you for it! Beijinhos! I'm glad you liked Ban's adventure too! YAY! Ty!**

 **One reviewer away from the lucky thirteen.  
** _ **㈳6 ENJOY! ㈳6**_

* * *

Lineage

Arthur had been out with horse master Nimue when Merlin beckoned him come afternoon to inform him that the Seven Deadly Sins were less than a candlemark away from their return. The young king smiled brightly and glanced to the taller man accompanying him. Nimue was a perhaps six years his senior and had always given the vibe of a protective older sibling. He had unruly forest green hair that dusted his shoulders, never being much for haircuts, or hair brushes. The horse master's sun-tanned face grew into a knowing smile when he saw Arthur's face light up at Merlin's call.

Arthur cracked a grin, "How about I try to take one of the colts for a spin?"

"You try to spin them and I'll personally see that your bucked off." Nimue grinned back at him as he handed over the reigns of the young steed they'd been walking.

Arthur chuckled at how the horse snorted, "He's spirited all right!"

Nimue nodded at the excellent form his king used to swing onto the colt. That one would grow to be a proud stallion.

From atop the horse, Arthur smiled to his friend, "Why don't you join us, Nimue?"

"Hah! And leave all this fun?" The man let out a broad laugh, "you go play with your heroes. I'll stay here where the witch will have to search me out if she wants to turn me into a toad." The man's sly glance shifted to Merlin.

Pink lips showed but a hint of teeth as the mage could not but respond in kind, "A task that I may have to see to later, should our dear horse master grow much more daring."

Nimue chuckled but wisely allowed her the last word as he turned back to the stables.

Arthur blinked curiously at the Boar Sin, but decided it was best not to comment as well and thrummed the horse's side with his heels to send him out in an energetic run. "Hyah!"

Merlin vanished as he rode by, and reappeared on the walls of the capitol city to await the arrival of her comrades.

o.o;;

Meliodas was beginning to wish they could stall their arrival another day as his eyes lingered on the petite elf walking back into the Boar Hat from where he sat on Diane's shoulder. She was going on and on about how great it was going to be back in Camelot, especially when King got back, then something about dresses and balls. He'd stopped listening until she mentioned something about baths.

"What was that, Diane?"

The giantess turned her huge head to look at him with rounded eyes, "The bath house. I still haven't gotten to take Elizabeth to one. That's gonna be our first stop."

Meliodas tilted his head, "Hmm. That could be fun."

"I can't wait! It's gonna melt all that stress from being nabbed right away, you'll see! Elizabeth might not get what's so great about them yet, but she will! She could use a long soak after everything she's been through."

"Mmhmm." Meliodas looked thoughtful, "It's not good to have all that pent up stress. Knots up the muscles. Then it's decided! We'll go to the bath house!"

Diane frowned, "You're going to get King back first, Captain."

"I am?"

"Yep."

"Hmm. Get King, then bath?"

"There ya go!" Diane smiled.

When the castle walls came into sight, Meliodas smirked at Diane, "Just do me a favor and don't let Elizabeth outta your sight when I run off to gettem."

"You got it!"

The Dragon Sin stood and leapt from her shoulder onto the back of Mama Pig. Slipping his hands into his pockets as he walked into the tavern, he glided his gaze over the four drow elves and smiled at how Zeal had worn Hawk out. The kid was tugging the ears of a pig that was now one with the floor and had swirls for eyes.

Zeal was officially his favorite drow elf.

 _So long as half drows don't count in the same category._

He continued on upstairs and he began to recount on how troubled Elizabeth had been when they'd woken out there in the grass. Particularly the flash of her right eye. It was more than just another color that marked her half drow... What he'd seen had been a rune eye. Just how much did she know about her birth parents anyway? She'd mentioned her mother briefly once. Was she the drow...? Or something else?

And who was her father?

The answer to those questions could very well be the reason the power-hungry drow monarchy wanted her badly enough to stoop so low as to kidnap her.

He opened the door to his room and smiled to himself when he heard tiny splashes from the new bathroom. Diane's plan to take her out just might be foiled. As he walked across the floor, his eyes fell to the blade still sitting in the corner. It felt like it was exuding a plethora of dark feelings.

Doubt  
Betrayal  
Fear  
...Hate

 _Damn thing..._

The Sin captain took a pillow from the bed and tossed it into the corner on top of it. Even the sight of the thing sickened him.

 _I'm not that man anymore._

Why had it been brought back? In Elizabeth's hysterics, she'd kicked the thing away—so it was clear that she did not want it either. Just who was it trying to tempt with its foul aura?

Removing its presence from his mind, Meliodas opened the door to the bathroom and innocently looked at the shimmering wet back draped in nothing but silver hair in the large bathtub he'd insisted they install. Elizabeth turned to him from over her shoulder with a fresh blush blossoming on her face. "Oh! Sir, Sir Meliodas! I'm s-sorry! I thought you would be out with Lady Diane for a bit longer."

A smile lifted his lips, "What're ya sorry for? There's a sexy Elizabeth in the private bathroom, nothing to be sorry about."

He couldn't get over how cute it was when one of her long ears twitched like that. How the hell did she manage to be arousing and adorable all at the same time? Meliodas rolled onto the heels of his feet and hummed, "Mmm... smells _great_ in here."

Elizabeth smiled shyly and motioned to a bottle on the tub's rim with her chin, "Margaret packed Tay'moraad's bags with many things I wouldn't have thought to pack."

Five steps was all it took for Meliodas to reach her, and he squatted down next to her and reached into her bathwater. He chuckled to himself when pale skin turned slightly pink as he pulled one of her arms from its depths and examined her wrist. It was bruised all around and had several gashes from where the cuffs had rubbed her skin raw. He wanted to ask who'd taken them off of her, but that might dredge up fresh memories that were less than pleasant so he kept such questions to himself.

Especially if she was where he was certain that blade had been.

"How are you holding up, Elizabeth?"

The princess averted her eyes from him, wishing the water had more bubbles as she held her other arm over her bosom. "I'll... I'll be fine, Sir Meliodas. Um, thank you."

Before she even saw him reaching for a jar, Meliodas was smoothing on the same ointment he'd used to help sooth the bruises on her legs from her first horrible attempt at waiting tables. It wasn't long before he lowered her hand back into the water and lifted the other, the back of his fingers grazing an incredibly sensitive area of a breast she'd been trying to keep covered while doing so.

He chuckled as he pulled her arm softly, urging her to turn toward him and the princess complied so that she could press herself against the bath's wall. It worked for cover much better than her arm had anyway. Elizabeth was amazed by how gentle he was with her aching wrist. How was it that the fingers of this warrior could be so fierce, yet so humane?

Elizabeth stared at the hand holding hers while he treated her wrist, her mind reeling with feelings of compassion for the man before her. In such a short time, somehow, he had become everything to her. So long as Meliodas wore his smile, it felt like her life would be complete.

Is this what love feels like?

She was startled out of her thoughts when the Sin captain tilted her chin up. "Hmm," he said, "Looks like you're growing a nasty bruise just below your eye too." Releasing her hand, Meliodas stroked the back of his index finger over the yellowed skin on her cheek. The warm water from his hand cooled quickly and Elizabeth sighed at the unexpected relief the water brought to her face.

Then, while her eyes were closed, she felt soft lips lightly brush over the tender skin. The ghost of a kiss.

With how red she glowed, it was amazing that the warm water she sat in did not begin to boil. Her eyes opened, but all she could see was dark green eyes watching deft fingers rubbing the ointment on her cheek just as he'd done with her wrists.

The throbbing from where Jericho had kicked her ebbed, but she paid it no heed; the throbbing in her chest was far more consuming. She stared, barely breathing while he finished. A fact that was made obvious when his eyes shifted to hers. His brows furrowed and she could hear the mischievous smirk in his voice, "Now. About that kiss yesterday."

A foreign, indiscernible noise leaked from her mouth that she quickly shushed by pressing her lips together before licking them. "Umm..."

Meliodas' smirk faded to a softer, more enchanting smile as his thumb grazed over her lips and drawled, "I'll go first if you like..."

At her silence, he continued, enjoying tremble in her lips. "I don't know of very many things in this world that can stop me when I get goin... but you did it armed with nothin more than these lips."

The two of them were trapped in eye lock as Elizabeth tried to find whatever she might respond with. What could she possibly say to something like that? It was truly getting bothersome with how seamlessly he could steal her wits right out from under her! Fortunately she was granted a longer time to properly plan out a meaningful reply.

" _Caaaaaaaaaptaaaaaaain!"_ Rang out a giantess, "brace yourself!"

Without any further warning, Meliodas snatched the princess from her bath and knelt down with her just as he had the other times Mama Pig burrowed into the ground—except this time she was wet and naked as he pressed her tightly to him. Elizabeth's fist gripped his vest and shirt tightly as she moaned at the feel his eager hand latching on and squeezing her moist, bare breast. Once the building stopped shaking, Meliodas tilted her chin to look up at him and hummed. "The Siren Sin sure has a great voice," and grinned, "I wonder how many different octaves it can go..."

Through a blush that would just never diminish, the blonde began groping several different areas of her bosom so that he could hear many differently pitched squeals; once his fingers slowed, Elizabeth managed to breath out, "I think... that I may... be able to handle these earthquakes, er, pigquakes... myself, by now."

The Dragon Sin flashed her a cunning smirk and handed her a towel that she never saw him reach for, "Yea, but what fun would that be?"

Setting her down, Meliodas began walking out of the bathroom, giving her ample time to wrap in the towel before he turned around, "I gotta go see Arthur about housing our prisoners, you wanna come with?"

Despite everything, Elizabeth's ears perked up happily at his invitation, "Ye-yes, Sir Meliodas! I'll be right down."

"Alright then." He nodded and walked out to a bubbly Diane running up the stairs, shutting the door behind him.

The princess dressed quickly and looked herself over in the mirror quicker. It was exciting to be back in Camelot, and Meliodas' invitation to join him swelled her heart like only he seemed able. It wasn't as though she wasn't already planning on tagging along—she felt safe around Sir Meliodas and had planned on sticking to him like glue—but he'd invited her this time!

She felt like skipping as she made her way toward the door, but paused when something out of place caught her eye.

 _Sir Meliodas' pillow is on the floor._

Elizabeth walked up to it. How had it gotten all the way over here? With no real logical reason, she glanced back at the bed. Yep. That's where the pillow was supposed to be. She lifted it and headed back to the bed—but stopped dead when she heard a slow hiss of a voice echoing between her ears.

 _::Walk with me... Elizabeth Liones...::_

Her ears twitched, and she shook her head, taking another step toward the bed.

 _::Walk with me...::_

No. She was definitely hearing something. The pillow she held fell back to the floor when she turned around to see the weapon she'd seen in a memory forgotten. A false memory... The blade looked much more lovely coated in red.

 _::Walk with me...::_

As if nothing more than one of the undead, Elizabeth's arms went slack, and she shambled towards the blade exhuming a devilish black mist.

 _ **Moments earlier...**_

Downstairs, Arthur had been far too excited to wait outside, and he walked into the tavern barely remembering to hitch up Nimue's new trainee. He stopped abruptly, however, and looked about curiously when the only familiar faces he could see were Gowther's and the pig's.

"Good afternoon, King Arthur." The Goat Sin stood and nodded respectfully.

"Good afternoon to you as well, Sir Gowther, Uh... who are these people?"

"I would assume," Merlin spoke from directly behind him, making the young king jump ten feet and squeal, no yelp, no... something manly... yes, a manly surprised sound because Arthur is cool, Arthur is awesome!

"Ahem... I would assume they are the reason for our friends' arrival being behind schedule." Merlin smirked smugly at the king's quick recovery.

Diane bounced down the stairs, excited to be people-sized again, followed by a content Meliodas. "Hey there Arthur! Merlin."

Both king and mage nodded back to him. Then Arthur motioned toward the drow elves sitting together at a corner table that Zeal ran circles around with Hawk, "Who are they?"

"About them. Hmm. Let's have a chat about that."

After going through the shortened version of Jericho and Guila's aggressions against the Sins and their newest Sin's discussion with them, the king looked a bit star-struck. The princess had converted loyal officers sent to kidnap her...? Not exactly, but close enough.

Shaking his head in his astonishment, he said, "Yes of course. I will house them and keep them under a watchful eye." Arthur gave the four elves a confident smile. "Alright you all, come with me." His eyes lowered to Meliodas and nodded, "I'll let you know where we end up placing them once we get them settled in and the guards placed."

Meliodas nodded with a half smile, "Thanks."

"If it is no bother, I shall accompany you to their new lodgings." Gowther spoke up.

Arthur agreed, "Your assistance is most welcome, Sir Gowther."

At the company's departure, the Sin captain's smile faded and he looked to Merlin. "I've got something for you, Merlin."

A musical chuckle sounded from the mage, "For me? You shouldn't have."

She followed the captain with her curiosity peeked as he knocked on the door to his room. His smile had returned when he knocked, but it soon fell again. "She shoulda been done with her bath by now." Meliodas walked in.

Merlin sighed teasingly, "Yet the prospect that she may not be will not keep you from entering now will it?"

She expected a quip back from him, so his silence caught her attention better than any remark. The Boar Sin raised a slender brow as she watched her captain stare at nothing more than the corner of his room as though it were an enemy.

"Oh don't be upset, dear Captain. The mean wall did not swallow up the princess. I'm sure she'll return once she decides that the nice guys should get the girl every once and a while."

In a low voice, "Lost was there in that corner just a moment ago."

Merlin's taunting smirk vanished, "...Pardon? Did you just say... Lost?"

"Yea." Meliodas clenched his fists.

Speaking a bit quicker than she usually did, Merlin said, "Where is it now?"

"Merlin." His head lowered, shading his eyes from the light, "can you sense Elizabeth's location?"

The mage frowned, placing a hand on her hip. Her Sight gave no hint to the princess' whereabouts at all, "No..."

"Stay here. That means she has it and Lost is cloaking her." Meliodas turned and focused on the ink stain on the floor. His brethren thought to use that sword to take the one person he'd finally found to cherish? How did that weapon have any power over her? Did the blood of a drow really run that deep? Try as they might, they would never be able to taint a spirit such as hers—no matter her lineage.

"And just where do you think you're going? If that thing really is here, we must find it at once! At all costs."

"We won't need to." Meliodas looked up at her. "It will find me. I just gotta be away from here so that if things get messy, others won't get caught in the crossfire."

 _That's what worries me._ "Humph." Merlin did not care for this plan much. The Dragon Sin was not to be trusted if Lost had truly been found. "At least take the road to Avalon. Ban and King arrived there earlier today."

"Thanks."

Meliodas knew it was only a matter of time before Merlin decided it best that someone else go—but she didn't know the weapon's ambitions. She did not believe it had a voice and that it held nothing but complete contempt for him. Not that he blamed her, he'd never bothered to explain it.

He jumped from the window and was gone in a heartbeat. Heading to Avalon was a good plan. If he was lucky, the thing would find itself at the bottom of the lake and be forever what it was named for. Surely those waters would hold it better than anything else.

Once he was a safe distance from the city, Meliodas slowed to a walk. He slipped his hands in his pockets and whistled to himself. It shouldn't be long. He continued on his way giving the impression that not a thing was wrong, but inside...

 _I can't even imagine Elizabeth's heart being twisted by that thing. Damnit! It thinks it hates me? Well just wait... if it does anything to her, I'll break it ten times over._

 _...This is all my fault._

 _Elizabeth..._

As the grasses surrounding Avalon came into view, Meliodas finally got a smell of Elizabeth. He couldn't sense her, but that sweet scent of jasmine from her bath was still fresh and extremely tantalizing. That proved it. Even half drows had enough swimming in their veins for Lost to gain control. He stopped when he felt her close and stood perfectly still.

"Let her go. She doesn't have anything to do with this."

Elizabeth stood from where she'd crouched down in the grass from behind him, the wind blowing her hair to reveal that what Meliodas had called her rune eye was now dulled into nothing more than a pasty gray.

In Elizabeth's voice, he heard her say, "Is that what you think? Why have you not told me? It's obvious that you've suspected it for some time now. Just tell me the truth!"

"You are not her." Meliodas closed his eyes in a desperate attempt to quell his rage. How dare the thing even use her voice!

"WHY!? How could you, Meliodas?! You say you love me, yet you frayed the seals while unprotected and hide behind your supposed quest for redemption as a facade. You are false, demon!"

 _The seals? Frayed the seals...?_

The Dragon Sin turned around then. "You mistake yourself, Lost. This girl you have taken has never heard me say that I love her." He smiled, "nice try."

"Is that so?" Her voice grew lower and more guttural. "Such a shame. Tell me, swordslayer, how is it that the Tay'daishar is able to walk with scum like you?"

 _Tay'daishar?_ Meliodas' brows raised, and folded his arms looking up at the sky. "Hmm... What's that?"

"DON'T PLAY COY WITH ME!"

"Let's see... I've met a Tay'shire recently," he ticked off fingers as he thought out loud, "and we've got a Tay'moraad traveling with us now." He smiled and pointed like he'd just remembered, " _Oh!_ And just yesterday I heard someone call this rude person Tay'lanni."

The thing that carried Elizabeth's body began to laugh, "Ah Meliodas, as uncaring as always I see. Very well then. I shall allow you to be killed by the one you claim you do not love."

 _Well, I never said that. This thing just can't listen._

"Witness how I have twisted her memory. Feel her hatred and taste remorse!" Elizabeth's eyes closed briefly, and when they opened again, he could see the change. Her right eye was orange again and the voice was completely hers, but the venom she spat was something else entirely.

She raised her hand and pointed the blade to him, "You! It had to have been you! You're the only entity of darkness that has passed our borders in over a century! _You were the one who killed my father!_ You and your cowardly species! I do not understand how I couldn't see it before! This blade has opened my eyes. So typical for a demon to do nothing but set a snake to destroy the life of a proud warrior while he sleeps!"

Try as he might, but what she said stung. Meliodas reminded himself that her words were not her own, just a twisted fabrication of Lost, but must he choose a scar as fresh as her father's death? Could Lost have created this...? Or had the idea already been there, swimming around in her mind?

"I will exercise my right to execute justice here and now, not only as a daughter of a father lost, but as a servant of Liones avenging her king!"

Her voice sounded like the Siren Sin she was named for then. Meliodas lowered to his knees and looked her straight in the eyes, correction, through her eyes and into her soul. His spoke lowly, his mind made up. "I will not fight you Elizabeth... Izzy." _I can't._ "If what you say is truly how you feel, then do it."

With narrowed eyes, the princess stalked toward him and stared back at him. No matter how far he looked into her gaze, all he could see was scornful conviction. "Sin of Wrath, Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins. May the raven carry you home."

As she raised the weapon high, Meliodas's eyes remained open. He wanted the last thing he saw in this life to be the one that he loved most. Once Elizabeth brought the knife down, she would release it, and Lost's hold on her would leave with it. The accursed blade held her too deep, and this was the only thing he could to do to shock her enough to let it go. _They won't taint your spirit, you'll go free._

 _I forgive you, Izzy._

Elizabeth ground her teeth so hard her jaw ached. This man had fooled her! Played her from the very start, and now her father was dead and she was far from home in a kingdom that probably sought to rob her people of everything they held dear. It was all the master plot of the demon race. A single tear trickled down her cheek as she struck. The blade slid through skin and bone like butter, and she fell forward into the chest of her victim.

" _BAN, NO!_ " She heard Meliodas cry out, and she opened her eyes to see nothing but red leather and blood all over her hands and his side. The knife protruded right next to the Fox Sin's mark. Elizabeth shuddered in her surprise as she heard Meliodas continue.

"That sword! It's mine! You won't heal from it!"

The blade remained in her red stained hands as Ban stumbled down to his knees, eyes wide with surprise that the pain was not immediately diminishing due to his ability to heal instantly. Elizabeth screamed her fury at the Fox Sin's intrusion even as he coughed up blood. After what felt like a long look at the silverette's seething contempt, Ban jerked his head back to look at his captain and tried to grin as he fell over saying:

"Sorry Capt... but your princess is in another castle."

"BAN!" Meliodas cried out as his friend fell into the tall grass that grew alongside the berry bushes he treasured so highly.

* * *

 _ **~TO BE CONTINUED~**_


	25. Raincheck

**LAWS TO LICK BY: WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!**

 **1ST COMMANDMENT: Thou shall enjoy with minimal squirming every lickith thou receive. ((by RainStorm2122))  
** **2ND COMMANDMENT: Thou shall submit reviews with gusto! Or the lickith will be thrice as moist and determined! ((also by RainStorm2122))  
** **3RD COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not covet another's licketh, for the punishment shall be lickeths tenfold. ((by ashleyk2010))  
** **4TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt appreciate if a lick or more was given to both thou body and soul ((by TailGatomonX3))  
** **5TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never be wary of thou lickith. Thou must embrace it, and return it with gusto! ((by BettyBest2))  
** **6TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not protest thy licks, or the number of thy licks shall be doubled. ((by yojimbo89))  
** **7TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall never fear the lickith, for the lickith is the lifeforce of thy Goddess. ((by PippElulu))  
** **8TH COMMANDMENT: Thou shall not deny a Lick her desires, for the punishment is death by reanimation. Hell hath no fury like a Lickith's scorn! ((collaboration by Dom and Stormie))  
** **9TH COMMANDMENT: If thou art to lick then thy lick shall be full of passion, for to do otherwise shall bring forth shame and the awkward. ((also by yojimbo89))**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **I likes the lickins first!**

 _ **ㇸ6HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!ㇸ6**_

 **Dom** **: ROFL! Now that's an approval rating I can wrap my head around! XD! And IKR! Disarming the offending opponent would just make things WAAAAAY too simple! HA!  
** **BettyDearest : Oh come now, you can squeal juuust fine, cuz it was AWESOME. *snicker* BTW, if you noticed anything that I may have left out in this chappie and ure super powers of perception notice, PLZ pm them to me! o.o I've went over it like a MILLION times yet I still feel like I'm forgetting something. *glances at Hawk shivering out in the cold* but I just can't put my finger on it...  
** **FoxBlossoms** **: YUP. But Izzy be tryin to block that horrible visit from memory subconsciously.  
** **EarthenKnight** **: Informal? -ahem- Do I respond formally? Heeeell no, be as informal as you want. HIGH FIVE FOR INFORMALITY! Yaaaay! :3  
** **Dea** **: No. Licks. AGAIN!? o.o What am I going to** ** _do?!_ T.T *shares her tissues*  
** **MyLuv** **: OmG, have I mentioned lately how much I luv ure reviews? XD Twas a great read my Luv, a glorious review exCEPT, wtf, ABANDON SHIP? HELL no! This ship be SAILIN! Hazah for Melbeth!  
** **L-chan** **: My fault?** ** _My fault?!_ Oh sure, blame the messenger! I'm just the story teller here—the muse! These guys are writing themselves! I have no power—I mean—have you SEEN the way Ban talks to me? XD I love you dear! Beijinhos!  
** **MuggleBlu** **: Yup. That be a sword that Ban's healing factor just can't seem to get a grip on! Though it wasn't through his heart—I do believe there is a pretty decent lil artery right about where his tat is. ANNND about the last line, *grins madly* THANX!  
** **Stormie** **: YOU CALLED ME FOXY BITCH! *crazy cackle* Fanfic goddess whaaa? In lieu of the informal situation (XD) CALL ME FOXY BITCH! YEA! *ignores absolutely EVERYTHING else in the extremely passionate and heartfelt review because of the foxy bitch comment that was left **BY YOU** in the club chat* YEEEEA! WOOOOO!  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: Ha ha! I was beginning to wonder if I should just lick (I was laying in WAIT!) ya b4 you got around to commenting. XD But I was like no, she'll prolley read it tonight. Hehe! I was right! And disarming never seems to be something many think to do in shows like these is it? Mwaha, works for me! Luv ya gurl!**

 **Only ten comments this time, didn't quite make it to the xtra dialogue.**

* * *

Raincheck

Something about Elaine tickling his blood had to be why he loved ticking her off so much these days. That voice rumbling throughout every bit of him was just good enough to be sinful.

That would be why he was pointedly ignoring her refusal to try and make her brother the new Lady of the Lake. Ban sat in the grass hunched over the bottle King still occupied and was holding up a tiny pink dress (like it was dancing) in front of the glass, explaining the many reasons why he'd make a _great_ Lady of the Lake.

Blood tingling? _...check.  
_ Pissed off King? _...check.  
_ Happy pirate? _...check!  
_ Life was good.

Which was why it was positively criminal when voices were heard off in the distance, stopping all of his fun. Ban leaned back and looked toward the voices with a fading smile. "That sounds like the captain..."

Elaine looked that way as well with concern replacing the anger, "Ban, there is a dark force over there."

"Well yea, Capt is about as nasty as they come." Ban snickered as he stood with a satisfying pop to his back.

"No, I don't mean the Sin captain." Elaine was staring in that direction now, "but there is something horrible there."

"Heh. Sounds like the princess is pissed. There's your sumthin horrible."

"Ban!"

"Alright, alright Lamb Chop, don't get your panties in a twist." He chuckled to himself, knowing damn well Elaine didn't wear those things. "I'll go check it out."

Before leaving though, he bent over the bottle King was once again banging against and pointed his finger at him like he was a child and cooed sweetly. "Now you stay right there Mistress King, I'll be _right_ back."

Elaine rolled her eyes from where she hovered when Ban winked at her. She couldn't believe he'd brought Harlequin here to take her place! He was one of the guardians of the seals, King of the Fairies! He could not just sit around here and protect these waters.

Not that the Sin of Sloth didn't deserve a few hundred years in solitude...

Once Ban ran off to see what the foreign entity was, she drifted to her brother who was vehemently banging both fists against the glass now. Elaine lifted the bottle up and peered through it curiously, to which, King grew nervous. Why was she looking at him like that?

At the sound of Elizabeth's enraged scream, both fairies turned back to where Ban had run off. Elaine frowned, "Something's not right," and pulled the cork from the bottle.

As soon as the abhorred piece of sponge was removed, King rose out of the bottle and reverted to his normal size. He floated higher than his sister and frowned toward the voices further off as he said, "I'll be back to discuss a few things with you, Elaine..." She could do so much better than Ban. "But I've got to go check on that. I'm sensing something too familiar and it's not something the captain or Ban may be able to handle on their own."

Elaine nodded, and watched him fly away. "Please be safe..."

The scene King flew in on was one that required a double and a triple take. Elizabeth was wailing like she'd gone mad with blood coating the front of her, and Meliodas was calling for Ban like he'd never seen the guy get skewered before. He was very confused. "Captain, what is going on?"

It was obvious that Meliodas was relieved to see him. "King! It's Elizabeth! Elizabeth is holding Lost!"

" _What?!"_ The fairy's head whipped back to the princess, who was leveling her gaze back to his captain. "But how? Lost shouldn't be able to have power over anyone unless—"

"She's half drow, King! We've got to get it away from her!"

Ban coughed up more blood, it'd been so long since he'd felt his life draining from him like this, "Yea, sure... fairy boy gets a warning."

"Even after all this time, the demon blood coursing through drow elves is still that strong?" King murmured to himself as Elizabeth began running toward Meliodas, who was bent over Ban. The battle cry she let out was deafening. King frowned, so much about this just wasn't right.

"You'd kill without covering your face, Princess?" King raised his palm at her and Chastiefol caught and wrapped her in a bear hug, holding her back and keeping her safe all at once. It was a good thing that his sister had sent someone level headed to come deal with this after all. It appeared that the captain wouldn't lift a finger against the princess—even if she _was_ somehow consumed by the accursed metal, and Ban was so ridiculously used to using his immortal body that he didn't seem capable of doing the SMART thing and just disarm her. _Very well. I can handle this myself._

"Did you suddenly become a soldier, or did you simply forget where you come from?" King narrowed his eyes at the girl before him slicked with the blood of Ban. "If you cannot even remember the rich heritage of where you hail from, then I should wish the raven takes you instead of your victim. At least he knows who he is!"

"Yea... Still dyin over here... so... ya know... no rush." The Fox Sin gurgled as Meliodas laid him straight and pressed a makeshift compress from the shirt he'd just stripped off.

"You know _nothing_ of our heritage, traitor!" Elizabeth struggled within Chastiefol's grasp, her voice exhuming pure hatred, "my father trusted you! You were supposed to be his friend! _How could you!_ "

King drifted to hover directly in front of Elizabeth with hands behind his back and ankles crossed. His voice remained calm and free of emotion. "You are not yourself, Elizabeth, that weapon you carry is called Lost. A benevolent spirit resides in its steel that can only be kept at bay if the sword is complete. It is twisting you to do as it wishes. Release it."

" _NO!"_ Elizabeth screamed, thrusting her head back and forth, "It has lifted the veil that shrouded my eyes! I see now that no demon can walk in the light, and now I learn that fairies are allied with them! When will the lies _STOP!?_ You will not drag Liones down with you! My kingdom will remain pure of darkness!"

"And how will you stop such wicked thwarts?" King narrowed his eyes, "for as long as I have known you, you have seen the person, not the species. Though if you must behave like a bigot while you wield that blade, allow me remind you that you are a _mixed_ elf. How could you possibly honor your people with demon blood coursing through your veins? You speak of purity, Drow? Don't make me laugh!"

Meliodas snarled from where he pressed down on Ban's wound, "King!"

The fairy ignored him, glaring at Elizabeth with cold eyes. "You are an orphan, woman, and now you turn on your friends yet you call _me_ a traitor? There is nothing left for you, you will die in the arms of Chastiefol by my command, at least this way your sisters will be able to remember what you were—instead of what you have become."

Elizabeth's jaw went slack. In her current state, his foul remarks made more sense than any attempt at logical reasoning ever could have. Her desire to see her kingdom pure could not be by her hand. She was just the bastard child taken in by the light and had been allowed to bask in its glory, but she could never be part of it. Anguish filled her as Harlequin slowly closed his hand into a fist and the bear holding her began to squeeze. She pressed her head against the green and black fabric and she screamed in pain as the bear pressed in on her.

 _This is it, I am going to die._

"NO!" Elizabeth's eyes grew gruesomely wide and began flashing red, but her knuckles remained white, clinging to the hilt of the sword.

"King!" Meliodas yelled, " _STOP!_ "

"Should you survive, swordslayer, then you will live a life of RUIN!" The voice of Lost hissed from Elizabeth's mouth, "she is _MINE!_ "

A sigh left the fairy king as he shook his head. "Speaking with the captain does you no good, Lost. When she dies, there will be no one left to hold you except me."

"Curse you, Guardian! I will never stop! I will always..."

Lost's voice hitched when Elizabeth convulsed, then her body leaned forward, slack and still, only being held up by Chastiefol's massive arms.

And the sword clattered to the ground.

"What did you do?!" Terror filled Meliodas' voice as he left Ban to race to Elizabeth's aid. Chastiefol released Elizabeth and he caught her with tears in his eyes, "how could you King, I..." He could feel her pulse, a pulse that sounded like sweet, sweet mercy.

...King had been playing Lost.

The Dragon Sin looked up at him with a smirk, "Sleeper hold?"

The Grizzly Sin smiled back, "Sleeper hold." His captain didn't even see through his ruse? Indeed when it came to the third princess of Liones... his brilliant captain was in real danger of being blind to tactical warfare. ***A/N** _ **Not that King is much better! XD**_ *****

Or perhaps all his tactics these days were just used up in all that incessant flirting.

King looked behind him at the bloody mess that was Ban, "I guess we couldn't just let him bleed out... could we?"

Meliodas lifted Elizabeth, "Lost called her the Tay'daishar."

"Half of..." King frowned, "Captain, if that's true, then—Captain!" He quickly averted his eyes, "Wha-what are you doing?!"

The Sin captain grinned up at King, groping the princess' ample bosom with a more than content chibi face, "Wakes her up every time."

"...Sir Meliodas?" Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at him with blurred vision, "Wha...?"

"Elizabeth, are you okay?" Meliodas asked softly.

"Where, where are we?"

"Ya know, if ya wanted to drag me out on a lakeside date, all you had to do was ask."

"Huh?" The princess' eyes wandered until they centered on the blade lying on the ground, then everything came rushing back to her. The way she felt so much irrational anger—it was terrifying! Such unadulterated hate. She felt dirty. How could Sir Meliodas even stand to look at her? Raising her hands to grip her head from a rapidly growing headache, Elizabeth shuddered at the sight of them stained with red. "Ahhhh!

"No, no, no, no!" She screamed, shaking her head back and forth. How could she? It just couldn't be!

Her body began emitting a white so bright it glowed. Meliodas ducked his head into her shoulder and held her tighter, and King shielded his eyes. Light burst through her as she begged to everything and nothing for forgiveness and redemption. This was all her fault! She'd tried to kill him, stabbed Sir Ban and said such horrible things! She wanted to take it all back, set everything right.

 _Goddesses forgive me!_

 _^.~_

"Elizabeth?"

A foot nudged her shoulder and a feminine voice sung out again, "Elizabeth?"

Eyes opened to see a clear sky tinted with the beginnings of sunset, a marvelous painting of blue fading to orange. Elizabeth breathed out a sigh and rubbed her eye as the other hand tangled itself in a bundle of course hair that was lying against her chest. Midst the goddesses' masterpiece, came the head of the Sin of Gluttony smiling down at her. "Ahh, there you are."

Elizabeth made an effort to sit up and noticed the Dragon Sin's head on her, and gently moved him to her lap with a smile. Sitting up brought a gasp to catch in her throat—they were lying in a field of flowers...? While she was taking in the view, she heard the mage who stood beside her chuckle.

"I must admit, there is never a dull moment with you and the captain around. I find I rather like it, you keep him on his toes quite nicely."

Elizabeth looked up at Merlin's smile, "Um... excuse me?"

"Ugh..." Both women looked to the side where the moan had come from to see the leather-clad Sin of Greed raise a hand to cradle his forehead. "Man, talk about a party..."

The princess smiled with relief bathing her entire face, "Sir Ban! You're okay!"

His hand went to his lower abdomen, where a fresh scar was, not unlike the other that resided on his neck, "Holy shit, I guess I am." Ban rolled over onto his side and narrowed an eye at her as a white brow rose from the opposite eye, "Do me a favor, princess, and stick to your little bow and arrows."

Elizabeth's ears lowered, heavy with shame. "Oh Sir Ban... I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."

They heard a groan coming from the other side of them and turned to see King rousing, "Mmmph..."

"Sir King!" Elizabeth smiled, stroking Meliodas' hair subconsciously.

The fairy looked around at the field of flowers. "Wow... Elaine is going to love these."

"You think so?" Ban smirked, then grunted when the Grizzly Sin flicked his wrist and Chastiefol found its home right through the bandit's chest, pinning him to the ground. After a momentary spitting up of blood and Elizabeth's worried call for him, Ban started to chortle, "Damn King... At least when the chick stabs someone, she doesn't shred up their clothes."

"You kept me in that bottle Ban," King grumbled.

A shaky finger rose up as the bandit added, "And tried to make ya wear a dress."

Elizabeth couldn't stand the sight of King's spear through Ban's chest at the moment and implored the fairy, "Sir King! Please!"

King looked over at her, "Oh... oh! S-sorry Elizabeth," and willed his sacred treasure back to his side in the form of a pillow that he quickly reclined against. Tricking Lost into thinking its vessel was about to die can be an exhausting endeavor after all...

The undead man slowly sat up and looked over at Elizabeth, then Meliodas and grinned while his chest patched itself up, "Capt, you dog! Get up and tell us what the hell all that was about already."

Meliodas rolled over, crossing his arms around Elizabeth's waist and scooping both hands under her to gain two handfuls of elf rear, murmuring happily. The elf princess blushed as his sounds and touches brought fresh warmth to far more than just her cheeks.

Ban had already moved on (short attention span), plucking a purple flower from the ground. "And what are all these flowers doin here all of a sudden?"

King yawned from his roost on Chastiefol's cushion and replied, "That would be the Tay'daishar's doing."

Ban frowned, looking bored. "I've been hearing that name a lot lately."

"Between the things Lost said and my own suspicions for a while now, there can be no more doubt. Princess Elizabeth and Tay'daishar are the same."

Merlin raised a brow, "Is that so..."

Elizabeth looked between the three Sins feeling rather awkward. Tay'daishar was something of legend! Not a person... how is it that he can call _her_ that?! Her hands began to tremble, which was Meliodas' cue to rise up and simplify things. "Settle down guys. We've never cared anything for titles before, and we're not about to start now. We have Tay'daishar, so? We also have a fairy king, the self proclaimed greatest mage in Britannia, a doll, a—"

"And let's not forget everyone's lovable demon lord," Ban interrupted with a curling grin.

Meliodas silenced for a moment, then from where he sat next to Elizabeth, he took her hand and peered into her eyes. "Elizabeth, I'm really sorry for the trouble Lost has caused you." He frowned, squeezing her hand. "If only I'd tried fixing it instead of casting it away."

"Not that you'd had a choice..." Muttered King.

Meliodas frowned at King for volunteering more information than necessary, but King continued anyway. There was no reason for the rest of them to be left in the dark. The fairy smiled at Meliodas, a brotherly understanding in his gaze. "You couldn't have fixed it. To keep the broken blade would have driven you mad. Throwing it away was your best option at the time—and even that was nearly impossible."

While King talked, Ban inched closer to Meliodas with a smirk and offered him back his bloody shirt. The Sin captain grimaced at it, but when Ban persisted he take it with an annoying grin, Meliodas punched him back to where he'd been.

"Ah yes..." Merlin all but purred. "I had a _very_ interesting conversation about that sword with a certain Lady a little after she beckoned me." A smile that could melt even the hottest of coals graced her painted lips as she turned to the bandit lounging in the grass, "her image appeared right in my glass of brandy, asking if I could come check on you."

"Hmm..." Ban thought for a moment laying back on propped elbows. "Not sure how I feel about you talkin with that cool drinka water... BUT," he spawned a huge grin of his own. "Sounds like I gotta go see a hot blonde that was worried about me," and rolled over backwards to get back on his feet. King was about to send another spear through him when Merlin reappeared right in front of the bandit trying to leave and grabbed his ear, walking him back in the opposite direction. "Oww, ow ow! Hey! Leggo, damnit!"

Merlin only smiled to herself, "The Lady knows you're fine. Right now I am more concerned that you return the sword you have strapped to your back."

Ban stopped struggling and looked over his shoulder at Excalibur with a less than interested scowl, "Oh yea."

Elizabeth tilted her head at the other thing on his back, "Um... Sir Ban, what... why do you have a, um, skull of a moonstag behind your back...?"

That made him grin, "Oh this old thing? Heh... long story."

A story Meliodas fished out of him during the walk back to the pub in Camelot. Elizabeth took it upon herself to hold the skull when she learned its significance (Ban just shrugged it off telling himself, well she's the daughter of _someone_ ). However he did make a snide comment about her stabbing AND robbing him all in the same day.

Upon arrival, they met with an apprehensive stag and a recently giant-sized Serpent Sin who let out an exasperated sigh when she saw them. She snatched up King and pillow right out from the air and hugged them tightly. "Oh KING! I was so worried about you!"

Being pressed so tightly against breasts bigger than himself, King's nose began to leek a steady stream of blood. "Oh, uhhh... I was fine, Di, Diane."

"Well then what took you so long to come back?" Diane asked King curiously.

The fairy blushed brightly and waved his arms passively, "I would've come back sooner but Ban wouldn't let me out of the bottle I was trapped in!"

Merlin rested her hands on her hips and gave Ban a sidelong look while taking a step away from him. "When will you be returning that sword?"

Ban shrugged and yawned, "Maybe in the morning. Just depends what kinda mood I'm in." In his relaxed stance, the Fox Sin looked up at a shadow that was suddenly directly above him. "...Huh?" Was the only thing he could say before the foot of a giantess' came crashing down on top of him. Elizabeth and Tay'moraad were so startled that the both of them jumped behind Meliodas.

"Keeping King stuck in a dumb old bottle huh?" Diane growled at the flattened Sin still under her foot and twisted it deeper into the ground, "I'll squish you until there's nothing left of you but a puddle!"

Once tempers were cooled and another dose of shrinking potion given, everyone relaxed inside the Boar Hat and shared information. Had Lost known the vital information he'd granted them so eagerly, it surely would have been wailing. Elizabeth was already drawing up a letter to her sister about the comment Lost said about 'frayed seals'.

There was a word that kept getting tossed around that was bothering Diane though, so with an arm securely wrapped around King and the other holding a mug of ale, Diane's temper flared again. "What do you mean Tay'daishar? All of you guys are talkin like it's old news, but I've never even heard of it!"

"Calm yourself," Merlin murmured, taking a sip of her brandy. Her thoughts had been on more than just her comrade's current conversation, but the Serpent Sin's screech returned her to the topic at hand.

King was the one to fill her in, though he seemed preoccupied as well—even with the woman he loved clinging to his arm, he was troubled. "Roughly translated, it means half-born, but it's more than that. The best way I can describe it is that it means half of light and half of dark, but belonging to neither." He frowned to himself and turned to the princess writing her letter at the table. "Just who are your parents, Elizabeth?"

The princess' head popped up in surprise. Her ear twitched nervously and she began nibbling her lip worriedly, much to Meliodas' bemusement. "I... I... my mother, um... she was a drow elf that lived between the kingdom's borders. We lived away from everyone... I suppose it was because my ears would give away that I was not full drow, but she was good friends with Hendrickson's mother, it seemed like the only visitor we ever had was the queen and her son. If I can remember correctly, she was a priestess like Margaret."

"Your mother?" King asked.

Elizabeth shook her head, "No, the queen, Hendrickson's mother."

"What about your father... Elizabeth?" Meliodas leaned forward from where he sat with Elizabeth and placed his hand over the two she was wringing together nervously on the table.

"I... I don't know," the princess lowered her head sadly.

Silence filled the tavern for a moment, then Diane perked up again, her cheeks slightly pink from the anger management in the mug before her, "Waitaminute! You said that drows are descendants of a demon and elf right? So all drow elves have demon stuff in them right? So..." She pointed at Elizabeth grinning like she'd just won a prize, "when you did that freaky thing on the top of the castle with your sister, that actually put all _demons_ to sleep didn't it, didn't it?!"

Elizabeth's ears wilted at Diane inadvertently calling her a demon and Meliodas squeezed her hands again and said lowly, "Everyone with demonic ancestry anyway. Good connection, Diane."

The giantess beamed proudly at her captain's praise.

"That is very interesting." Gowther said, walking down the stairs. Heads turned up to see him walking down methodically, each step taking _exactly_ one and a half seconds.

"Oh look guys, Goatman is here," Ban chuckled.

Meliodas raised a brow, "So the drow officers are all settled in?"

The Sin of Lust reached the bottom of the stairs and adjusted his glasses, "Indeed, Captain. In light of this new information, I would like to study drow elves more closely. Not anywhere in my records does it state that drows were borne from the union of a demon and an elf and I find that fascinating." For someone who said they were fascinated, he surely didn't look it as he turned to Elizabeth, "May I run a few tests on you, Princess? In the name of higher education, of course."

Elizabeth bit her lip again and Meliodas frowned at Gowther as he felt her begin to squeeze his hand. "I think you'll need to find a different guinea pig, Gowther."

"Oh very well, Captain." He replied as though it didn't matter at all. He turned around to go back upstairs, then stopped and held out his hand with something beginning to glow above it. "By the way, I have analyzed this to its completion, so I have no more interest in carrying it. Might I add that I find it intriguing that—"

The shape of the glow manifested itself into the bow Elizabeth had thought she'd lost during her abduction and she exploded out of her seat and grabbed it. "My bow! Oh thank you, Sir Gowther, thank you!"

Hawk sweatdropped, "Am I the only one who thinks it weird that he's had that thing all this time and never mentioned it?"

Gowther blinked at him and held up two fingers for peace, "You never asked." Then through glasses that reflected the room's light, he tilted his head at the elf and queried, "just where did you say you procured that again, Princess?"

Elizabeth blinked curiously at the Goat Sin. She didn't think she'd ever told him, "Umm, it was a gift from my father."

"I see." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "That is very interesting," and walked back up the stairs in the same steady pace he'd come down.

As Elizabeth hugged her bow, Meliodas eyed Ban with a smirk that was readily returned and they both upended their mugs. The Sins slammed the mugs back down on the table at the same time, and Meliodas stood up and stretched. "Well! I think it's time to turn in. Big day in Camelot tomorrow!"

He began heading upstairs and Hawk scrambled after him, "Oh no you don't Meliodas! If you think you're goin to bed without a proper hog-tying, then you're crazier than gluten-free ham!"

Elizabeth turned back to Merlin, still clutching her bow tightly, "So what happened to the sword, Lost, I mean."

Merlin smiled broadly at her with an unmistakable pinch of mischief, "You just let me and the Lady of the Lake worry about that for now."

Ban and King frowned at her, but where King knew to hold his tongue, Ban had no such restraints. "What the fuck does Elaine have to do with the damn thing? You just keep that thing away from her."

"Ban," King turned to him, "it has no power over her. There is no demon blood in her."

"Like I give a damn!" Ban growled, "that thing needs to stay clear of Elaine!"

Merlin smirked and placed two fingers on his eyelids, pulling them closed and suddenly his head slammed down on the table. "Sleep now. All will be well."

King and Diane deadpanned, and Diane said, "You're really scary sometimes, Merlin..."

"Heh," Was all she said.

^.~

Skirmishes kept popping up constantly.

Veronica was becoming tired and easily agitated—much more than usual. Her kingdom's forces were split up all around the borders and she defended the east gate alongside her men while worrying about the others she could not be present at. Was there no end to the drows ambitions? Surely by now they could see that they stood no chance against the holy knights of Liones!

By now they had stopped taking prisoners, it was kill or be killed and she would burden the dungeons with prisoners no more. The drow royal family wanted war? Well they have it! Her stag swayed two and fro dodging the enchanted swings of her current adversary, and she deftly countered every one of his strokes with one of her own. However when Griamore fell from his stag, she screamed out for archers and Dreyfus relayed the order to archers he knew could make the necessary shot in time while he struggled with his own opponent.

" _Aral, Lara!_ "

In the blink of an eye, two arrows pierced through the drow elf attacking the queen's knight. Griamore pulled himself up and looked to the trees and smiled his thanks before pulling himself back onto his stag.

Up in the tree, crouched two of Master Dreyfus' most recent graduates. They both smirked down at him with nearly identical cocky expressions as they over-exaggerated a salute in return—being fairly well behaved for the trouble makers they typically were.

Nonetheless, Veronica shook her head out of frustration for the two green haired archers who were skilled enough with the bow to forgive their ill gotten, troublesome lack of discipline from time to time. Their most recent enlistment of the younger moonstags in their pranks still fresh in her mind, she thought to herself, _Those_ _damn Gwa... Gwan, errr, those damn twins are going to be the end of me some day... I just know it!_

 _^.~_

Elizabeth had much to think over as she headed upstairs with weary feet. Despite how Ban had somehow made a complete recovery, and somehow all evidence of blood had utterly disappeared as if it never were, she still felt horrible. King had claimed it was her ability to wield powers similar to the goddesses that had healed and cleansed them, hence: Tay'daishar, but...

But it hadn't wiped her memory clean of all that putrid hatred she vividly recalled feeling toward her fellow Sins.

She opened the door to Meliodas' room, intending to ask forgiveness as she had done personally with Ban and King. The room was dark and she slipped off her boots and padded about the room; if he was sleeping then she shouldn't wake him. She'd put him through enough for one day. Opening a drawer she'd thought carried her nightgowns, she smiled when she found where Meliodas had placed some of his shirts instead. Unwilling to search any further in the dark (and not at ALL feeling nostalgic), Elizabeth scampered to the bathroom with one of his shirts to change into.

It was odd, but after wearing Lara's fashions for a few days, Elizabeth found herself much less embarrassed wearing this shirt than she ever had before. She felt... comfortable in it.

Ready for bed, she padded back over to the bed and leaned over to get a good look at his face in the dark to see if he was sleeping. The princess wouldn't have minded being granted a night's grace period before she played Jack Wisp trying to apologize. Needless to say, she jumped when Meliodas' eyes opened with her face but a handspan away and broke the silence, "Finally coming to bed, Izzy?"

"Eep!" Elizabeth started, straightening back out, "I'm, I'm sorry Sir Meliodas! I was only checking to see if you were, um, awake."

"Is that all?" ...Was he pouting?

"Well," Elizabeth sat on the bed next to him, curling her legs under her. The Sin captain's eyes lingered on those long legs as she continued. "I wanted to, I needed to apologize to you, Sir Meliodas," her ears wilted and she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes even though she knew she should. "Those things I said to you today... I didn't mean, I mean, I never should have," why was apologizing to him so much more difficult than the others? She hadn't even run him through like she had Ban. Elizabeth nibbled her lip in her frustration.

"That's the third time I've seen you mistreating that lip since we got back, Izzy. You're pretty lucky I'm kinda all tied up right about now."

His smile took a turn for sincere when he heard her giggle. That sound was his favorite, it's the simple pleasures in life one must cherish. Wriggling against how tightly Hawk had tied him tonight, Meliodas continued, "I know what you're doing, and you don't need to. The sword had ya, I happen to know better than most what it can do to a person. I'm not worried about it, and you shouldn't be either."

Did she realize how much trouble she was brewing chewing on her lip like that? Elizabeth looked to him finally and stuttered, "But, but, the things I said, I—"

"Tell ya what," the Dragon Sin interrupted, "if you'll do me one favor, can we call it even?"

Elizabeth's ears perked back up at that and she turned to face him completely, "Yes! Oh yes!" She said excitedly. _He's all tied up, how bad could it be?_

 _Oh Izzy... I suppose I should play nice... maybe I should just ask her to say THAT again. Mmmm.  
_ _Not sure if Hawk would forgive either one of us if I asked her to untie me._

… _._

Through eyes a darker shade of green, Meliodas steeled his heart and spoke the words he'd been building up to earlier. "It's pretty simple...

"Just let me have a 'do over' with that kiss yesterday."

* * *

 _ **Good night everybody!**_

 **Just for you, my lovelies!**

 _ **㈳9Seriphia  
**_ **aka  
** _ **Lick!㈴0**_


	26. Of Kings and Dastardly Men

**The Fanfic Goddess has used her divine abilities to place the commandments so lovingly bestowed upon her in her profile where they will forever be etched in stone.  
** **She licks you all.**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 _ **Lickins here!  
**_

 **WhispersToWolves** **: Lick? You desire the lickith!? EEEEEeeeee! I is SO happy! You got a deal! *many, many licks in midst of a suffocating -ahem- loving squeeze* Oh and, I giggle and cackle at Mel's slyness. Hehe! Ty!  
** **PippElulu : Ikr! I'm really starting to dig King. He was alright before, don;t get me wrong, but writing him has really made me grow a grand fondness of the sweet lil man. ^.^ I love how I can use him as an outlet to fill the readers in every now and then too.  
** **Dea** **: *gets glomped with cheesy grin, then grows teary eyed by the sudden slap* T.T This is a love/slap relationship eh? You and Stormie need to stop talkin much like Merlin and Elaine... Oh, Ban's gonna be in TROUBLE... You don't want that kinda trouble Dea... just sayin.  
** **BettyDearest : Is THAT were Lost ended up? Hmm... ANYWAYS, no one can say I play favorites with my beloved Ban, he dug his grave and got his just deserts! And it may not be over yet! XD I wonder, I wonder, what will Izzy do... hehe!  
** **CalCal** **: Ikr! Sooo many things could happen! The Sins seem to have a knack for interrupting Meliodas' personal time. Mwahahaha!  
** **EarthenKnight** **: Smiling is good! YAY! And yea, King is really growing on me... especially when he goes into Fae King mode. XD I repaired those words, lol, wouldn't want those kind of goofups!  
** **Guest** **: I KNOW! I'm too excited about these next few chappies! I'm am going to try my damnedest to get the next one out for April Fools. HEHE! The timing is just too perfect not to!  
** **Luna : How can I deny a loving follower who says please so earnestly? You got me, here it is! Ty! I'm glad you are enjoying it. :)  
** **L-chan** **: InuYasha,.. I have a friend that LOVED that one, but I never saw much of it. I was watching Tenchi and YuYuHakusho. Lol! My friends dubbed me Ryoko *compliment!*  
** **MuggleBlue** **: Perhaps this one is a lil less cliffy, hehe,.. I am merciful. Sometimes. ^.^  
** **Stormie** **: Frothing at the mouth. Hmm. LEAVE DEA ALONE WOMAN! Your fantasies will not waver my resolve—but—feel free to share them anytime. *halo* (rofl at the Hawk to stacked ribs remark tho. HAH!)  
** **WoundedOwl** **: Your passion tugs at my heart... but you see, I kinda had this procedure done where I had my heartstrings removed... so... yea... *licks ure salty-sweet tears* Mmmmm...  
** **Yojimbo** **: HAHAHAHAHA! RIGHT! XD You are too awesome! LUV IT!  
** **MyLuv** **: Ya liked King's part in that didja? Hehe. You don't like Lost?! WHATEVER for? That sword is a badass! You saw how it rendered THREE Sins helpless! *waves tiny Lost flag* Don't be a hater Luv! And you, YOU who is going for Happy Shower Fun time thinks his request is SIMPLE? PAH! You show me yours and I'll show you mine...  
** **RounJ** **: I am sure, that in a moment of weakness, King's words very well might echo in her mind. Merlin? Corrupt? Pssssshh! Merlin's only here to help! Right? Meliodas DOES have 3000 years of history... Thanx Roun! I know all this information is sinking in. :D**

 **ScarletLoveliness** **: You do not have a pen name for me to pm woman! You must comment or I worry you no sleep! o.o! *cries a little* I saw ure review on the zomB Nalu this morning, did the comment for here just not go through, or did you really leave til Xmas like you said? O.O IT'S ONLY MARCH!  
** **Dom** **: I still love you, busy bee.**

* * *

Of Kings and Dastardly Men  
Part I

The King of Camelot knelt before the Princess of Liones, hoping to impress how sincere his words were to her. With an arm crossed over his chest and its hand on his heart, Arthur said, "My deepest condolences, Princess Elizabeth. I have heard stories so magnificent that they could only be worthy of the legend of King Baltra the Lion." Deep purple eyes then rose to meet hers, his soul open to her so that she may see the sadness he felt over such a tragedy and (most intriguing) the burning desire to see justice done. He brought his hands to clasp the one Elizabeth hung at her side and rose his brows in earnest. "If there is anything Camelot can do... that I can do... please, do not even think to hesitate."

They stood in the entryway of the grand hall, where the king had been pacing, unable to wait for them to arrive and be announced properly. He'd felt heat rise in his face when he'd first watched her approach, walking between Meliodas and Merlin—her new choice of wardrobe certainly brought new light to how athletic the princess was.

Elizabeth had a slow blush beginning to bud when the king rose back up, still holding her hand. He really was handsome... the princess had spent most of the morning in a bit of daze with eyes constantly glossing over in a dreamy haze. She pressed her lips together, not entirely sure what the king had said and searched his violet eyes, "Umm, I see you are wearing white."

"Oh!" Arthur nodded with a hint of boyish excitement dancing through his expression, "one of our more well-read councilors explained to us a few your grieving traditions." His eyes widened as he realized his excitement could be misconstrued as rude and he cleared his throat, "So, er, uh. We are honoring the late king here as well. Baltra was a great man."

Elizabeth giggled at Arthur's awkwardness. He was really very different from Sir Meliodas, anyone could see that in the youthfulness of his gaze.

Arthur smiled at the dainty sound, getting sucked into her mood as the deadpanned knight beside her forcibly removed the king's two hands from her one. "That's enough of that. Hmm.. _Heeeey_ Arthur... wanna spar?"

Amber hair tussled for a moment as he tried to uncover the reasons for the Sin captain's actions, but at the sudden mention of sparring—with the captain of The Seven Deadly Sins...

"Hell yeah!" His eyes widened when he remembered that he was still in the presence of ladies and glanced at them fleetingly, "ahem, I, urrhm, I mean, yes Sir Meliodas, it would be my pleasure."

"Great!" Meliodas slipped his hands into his pockets and with lightning quick speed, he spun and kicked the king's side, sending him careening through a column and into a wall. Elizabeth jumped and Merlin rolled her eyes, and a bark of a laugh was heard from the king as he pulled himself out of the hall's newest renovations.

"Haha! You got me Meliodas! Now it's my turn," and the king crouched, readying an attack of his own.

"Nah," Meliodas walked on into the grand hall with his hands still in his pockets, "don't think I'm up for it after all."

Arthur tilted his head, feeling bewildered at the knight's sudden disinterest.

It didn't take long for breakfast to be served in Arthur's remodeled conference room. Gowther sat nearest to Arthur and was inquiring about the drow elves' security. King sat near Diane, trying to start up small talk but finding it difficult because Diane had taken the opportunity to get all dolled up like a princess again; somehow he found her far more obtrusive as she was now than she ever was as a Ban-squishing giant. She'd invited Elizabeth to come, but Elizabeth hadn't been willing to rise out of bed that early—not after last night.

And Merlin?

Merlin's attitude was slowly growing more and more sour when it began to become clear that Ban was not just late... he was not coming.

Talks between Sins and kings soon grew to more serious matters as servants came to collect plates. Elizabeth tried to pay attention... but her mind kept wandering back to last night. She mildly wondered if the man sitting next to her was slowly driving her mad. She swore she could feel good vibes flowing from him, but that was only her imagination right? Imagination that persisted to run wild with the Dragon Sin so near her.

So try as she might, her mind wandered back to last night as the knights of the round table discussed news of Sir Kay and recent hostilities of the drow elves.

㈴4~ _drifting~_ ㈴4

" _It's pretty simple. Just let me have a 'do over' with that kiss yesterday."_

 _Did he really just ask that? I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and was grateful for the darkness, though perhaps, in retrospect, the night was not as much cover as I had thought. I could certainly see that handsome face of his clearly._

 _He may have had that casual smile he usually wears, but I could tell he was baring his soul to me. It couldn't have been my imagination! Eyes that typically held so much age that it boggles the mind now looked young and hopeful. Sir Meliodas was asking me to kiss him._

 _And I found myself wanting nothing more than to oblige._

 _But how could I? My heart was racing and I am fairly sure that I'd stopped breathing... Solace came with the realization that Sir Meliodas was far less intimidating all tied up. Could I?_

 _Dare I?_

 _Surely my reaction hadn't taken as long as I'd felt that it had. I remember fidgeting with the way my legs were curled as a smile spread on my face. For once, I could be myself... sort of. He was completely bound! What was it he'd said before? Ah, he was at MY mercy. So I took a deep breath, and scooted closer to him and focused on the fingers I used to stroke through his hair. He really does have nice hair..._

 _He hummed contently and nudged his head closer to my hand. Such a simple gesture, but it broadened my smile and helped my courage grow. His eyes were closed now, enjoying my touches. I had been so flattered..._

 _Sir Meliodas is so adorable! I can't believe he asked for a do-over!_

㈴4 _~mmmmm~_ ㈴4

"Princess Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth suddenly sat up straighter in her chair at the sound of the king asking out her name. She looked back and forth, feeling rather flushed from her daydream. Fortunately, she'd been blindsided in a daydream many times in her youth (though none quite like this), so she was able to discern that the king was asking confirmation on the letter to Veronica's completion. "Oh! Um, yes, I simply need a carrier pigeon that can send it to the castle."

Meliodas' brow raised from where he reclined in the chair next to her, curious about her visit to LaLa Land. Observing her had been a fun activity for him while the conference refused to end.

"A pigeon?" Merlin chuckled, "No, no my dear. Such sensitive information will be personally delivered from yours truly. I will not risk enemies learning of its contents."

The princess' ears perked, "Oh... yes, I suppose that is for the best." She felt so flustered! Why were they looking at her like that? Did they somehow know what she'd been thinking? Absolutely not! Not a single one could read minds. A visible blue eye drifted to where Gowther sat. _...Goddesses help me._

With renewed vigor, Elizabeth tried to paying closer attention. Eventually the subject matter took a turn to how a simple sword could overcome a person as it had her. King explained what little history he knew of the blade, but it wasn't long before Meliodas took over such a topic.

During her attempt at being a model student that actually listens whilst class is in session, it'd helped to try and forget that she sat next to the man who had managed to steal her affections right out from under her—but now she had to look right at him or else she may not seem attentive. So Elizabeth took a deep breath and turned to watch the carefree demon speak, but her watching was no longer listening.

No, she did nothing but focus on the Sin captain's lips and (quickly) got sucked back to last night...

㈴4~ _drifting~_ ㈴4

 _His lips looked so soft, I swear it made mine twitch. I usually try to think before I act, but last night was different. Sir Meliodas had asked for something I was quickly learning I wanted more than anything in this world, and I was the only one to grant him his wish._

 _...At least I think I am._

Unknowingly, Elizabeth began nibbling her lower lip as she stared at Meliodas'. The demon noticed though, and made sure to make note of it while he explained that Lost was powerful because of the untapped power of the spirit within. Those powers could not be used though, not anymore—which was why that spirit loathed him. Lost needed its vayne to be complete. _Izzy's eyes look beautiful, all glossed over like that. ...If only she'd treat that lip with the love it deserves..._

Elizabeth surely would have found the information being discussed interesting, but she was enjoying reliving last night far too much.

 _I adjusted myself to be on my hands and knees beside him. Hah! I must have looked like the skittish doe that I felt! At the time, I didn't care. It was as though I was someone else entirely... someone that needed to taste him again, not from desperation like before, but from need. It was need that pulled my lips down to the lips of the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins._

 _I needed him._

㈴4 _~GASP~_ ㈴4

The realization had Elizabeth snapping out of the recollection. Her eyes flickered from Meliodas' mouth to his eyes. He'd stopped talking... and was looking right at her. One of his brows were slightly raised. Had he said something? Was she supposed to say something back?

Her eyes widened and she blushed brighter, broadening the demon's smile.  
 _Oh for heaven's sake what is_ wrong _with me? I cannot focus! Get it together, Elizabeth! You are a Sin and this is a meeting with the king. The bloody KING!_

She almost yelped when Diane spoke up, breaking the silence. "Blah, blah, blah. Bad brother trying to bully villagers, nasty sword plotting revenge, and drow prisoners taking up valuable space. Anything else? _Some_ of us girls have plans today!"

Meliodas smiled, "Oh yea, you were gonna take Elizabeth to the bath house today."

The princess heard Arthur and Hawk respond—something—but she was positively unable to translate their gibberish under the demonic smile Meliodas covertly passed her way. Elizabeth quickly looked down at her lap where she was wringing the fabric of her white archer gear so tightly it was bound to be horribly wrinkled.

She closed her eyes at the sound of her neighbor's quiet chuckle. He truly was a demon! Did he know that he was plaguing her mind like this? That underhanded laugh sure sounded like he did. Coercing herself to relax did not do the desired effect however, for as soon as she forced her fingers to cease in their effort to strangle her skirt to annihilation... she began recalling how they felt immersed in blonde hair.

㈴4~ _drifting~_ ㈴4

 _I dug both my hands into his hair as my eyes fluttered shut when my lips reached his. It felt like my entire body convulsed at the moan he released into mine. He immediately pushed up into our kiss; crashing our faces together with far more fervor than I could have ever anticipated. Oh but it had awakened something fierce within me! With only having felt his tongue against mine for three ticks of a clock, my fingers clutched his hair tightly and pulled his head back down to the pillow with my lips close behind. The grunt he let out just before I reached him again had been so thrilling! With Meliodas back on his pillow, I pressed my upper body against his, trying to increase the intimacy. Or perhaps trying to pin him down..._

 _Even though he was completely tied up, and I held his hair firm_ and _on top of him... I cannot deny that he overwhelmed me._

 _The strong, firm strokes of his tongue, mmm... the way he would sometimes brush mine along his teeth, oooh... he even did something I could not possibly mimic with his lips...! All I could do was cling to my sanity while Meliodas fed me his fury. ...I was completely helpless in his hands._

 _Hands that were bundled up in rope for the sake of my chastity._

 _I think I may have been straddling all that rope between us when I eventually broke our lip lock. My hands felt weak... no, it wasn't just my hands. My everything felt weak, except for my heart. Our noses still touched and it was his voice that pulled me from my stupor. I could see him, but it was hard because my hair framed his face. I don't think I'll ever forget that way he sounded when he said lowly:_

" _Mmmmm... you're definitely lucky I'm tied up, Izzy."_

 _I am rather proud of what I said back to him. Perhaps there is hope for me yet to live up to the Siren's silver tongue..._

" _Indeed. The fates must be smiling on me today, Captain."_

 _I could tell that calling him captain stirred something inside him. His eyes grew darker, yes captain, I know what I should call you should I want to throw you off guard... I do believe I may perhaps have a weapon that could give you a taste of your own medicine now._

 _What a wonderful night. I could feel his eyes still burning all over me as I laid down to sleep. I'm sure I didn't keep the giddy smile from my face no matter how much I tried to keep confident as I bid him good night. The sigh he used to tell me good night was as adorable as that innocent smile he hands out on a regular basis._

 _Oh Meliodas..._

㈴4 _~mmmmm~_ ㈴4

Elizabeth sat there at the round table with heart a flutter and lips heavy with the feel of her captain's when she was stirred again. Hawk was calling her back from reliving her fingers once again digging into his hair and the strength of his tongue. "Elizabeth? Why is your face all red?"

 _Red face? Really? Hmm... Sunburn?_ "Oh! Um, just a little warm in here, Sir Hawk..."

Hawk tilted his head, "Huh. Doesn't feel hot to me. Maybe it was sumthin you ate!"

"Oh!" Elizabeth placed a hand to her cheek with a coy smile, "yes, perhaps that's it." She glanced around the room. Merlin, Gowther and Arthur were gone, was the council over? Elizabeth was about to say something that may or may not have proven her attentiveness, but just before she spoke, Diane sprinted up to her and pulled her to her feet.

"Enough wasting time! Come on Elizabeth! The bath is going to be great!."

Both the ladies froze when they heard Meliodas speak, "I know a bath house that has a great view of the night sky. But cha would have to wait til evening."

Elizabeth watched Diane's smile grow brighter, "Yea! That'd be great! Oh I can't wait! What should we do before then, Elizabeth?"

 _Crawl into a corner until I can figure out how to breath again?_

"Oh! Um... Well, I had thought that I would return to the Boar Hat. I needed to get Veronica's letter to give to Lady Merlin, oh! And I noticed the downstairs needed a good cleaning yesterday, perhaps I should see to that, and—"

"Ohmygosh, ELIZABETH!" Diane harrumphed, "all that stuff is boring! If you haven't noticed, we're on the king's payroll now? Don't you want to go shopping or something?"

Elizabeth's ears wilted and nervously held her hands tightly. She'd had quite enough shopping with Lara less than a week ago, but she didn't want to displease the Serpent Sin either. "Umm..."

"I don't think she's up for all that running around just yet, Diane. After all, she was possessed by a demon sword yesterday." Meliodas said ever so casually right next to her. When had he gotten up from that chair? How come she didn't hear it? Honestly, were these ears good for _nothing_ around this man?

 _Perhaps I should go somewhere and meditate... or pray that the goddesses restore my ability to hear—soon._

Diane's eyes widened, and suddenly looked worried, "Oh Elizabeth! I'm sorry! I totally thought you were over that—I mean... when you came in with the others this morning, it looked like you were walking on sunshine."

"Oh! Lady Diane! I still am!" Oh goddesses did she really just say that? Her eyes widened and she tried correcting herself, "I mean, I'm still..." Elizabeth naively glanced at Meliodas who smiled back at her—which in turn had her blushing anew and she fumbled again. "I'm just, um."

Her eyes widened as the captain spun an arm around her hip and the other to grasp at her breast, Well, at least she had a reason to blush now. Between his voice and his hands she had no hope of recovery as he said, "What I think she's trying to say is that she's still pretty flustered from it, and she wants a day of quiet at home."

"Captain!" Diane and Hawk said at once. Hawk was pawing at the ground and preparing to knock him off his feet when he released her and looked back up at Diane, bending his leg up which effectively caught Hawk's head with his foot as he tried to plow into to him.

"Why don't cha see if Alma's Hot Springs could reserve tonight for us?"

"US!?" Hawk continued trying to run Meliodas over to no avail.

"Alright!" Diane smiled determinedly, "You got the right girl for the job, Captain!"

As she excitedly bounced down the hall, Meliodas glanced down at the piggy and grinned, "Hawk, you better go with her or I'm sure she won't remember to reserve a spot for both men and women."

"Eeeek!" Hawk jumped up, "you can't bathe WITH the girls!" He went chasing after Diane, "DIANE! WAAAAIT!"

Elizabeth found herself in another daydream as King floated up to the two of them, "Alma's Hot Springs... Captain?"

The Dragon Sin smiled up at him with a thumb's up, "Mmmhmm."

The fairy's voice squeaked as he floated out, clutching to his pillow tightly, "Al-alright... C-Captain."

With hands innocently within his pockets, Meliodas watched him drift down the hall, talking to himself; something about being confident and dashing, women liked that.

Alone again.

Meliodas pulled those hands out of his pockets and placed them around the elf that seemed to have drifted off to another world again. Brushing up against her, Meliodas looked into her eyes, "Where'dja go, Izzy?"

The Siren Sin shook, no shivered out of her stupor with ears perking at the sound of no one else being in the large room. Just him and her, alone.

It took her a few moments for this to sink in, but Meliodas was already walking her backwards into the table and speaking in a rather husky voice. "Whatcha been thinkin bout today?" Like her constant blush didn't say it all loud and clear.

Elizabeth could feel his arms around her with every cell in her body, and it didn't feel like those hands were behind her. She could feel them everywhere! Like she was reliving every single touch he'd ever given her, like... like there were four different sets of hands!

 ***A/N Imagination, not foreshadowing—scouts honor!***

"Thinking? Oh! I, I, I haven't been thinking!" Elizabeth nearly planted a palm firmly against her forehead. Why would she say something so ridiculous? "I mean... I haven't been umm..."  
 _Nope. I got nothing._

Meliodas smirked at his chosen prey, "There you go biting that lip again..."

The elf squeaked as she was lifted up and sat on the round table with a Deadly Sin crawling on top of her, her only retreat was to lean back until she was just as horizontal as the table she was on. Elizabeth's breath turned ragged at the glint in the demon's eyes as he all but purred, "And I'm not tied up this time."

Feeling a need to press her legs together to relieve an oncoming ache, the princess tried to do so, but the knight above her suddenly lowered a knee right between those legs; thus she clamped onto his thigh instead. He hummed mirthfully and she gasped, being cut off from the only relief she knew.

She needed to get her wits together! She was the Sin of Seduction, not him!  
 _My, but this really is a big table..._

NO! Bad Elizabeth!

"Per, perhaps you should be... Sir Meliodas..." Elizabeth struggled to say. She'd been reliving last night far too much today for her to be placed in this sort of situation. Oh Goddesses but he was far less scary when he'd been covered in rope!

The Dragon Sin had lowered his head enough to smell her hair while she spoke. He chuckled and replied, "Sounds pretty kinky, and here I didn't think you knew what foreplay was."

He spoke of such things so lightheartedly! "Ki-ki-kinky? Oh! Um..."

Meliodas pulled himself up and brought her to her feet with him. "It's alright, Izzy, I don't mind the rope."

"Um... what?"

The sidelong glance and grin he passed her was priceless, "At least until you feel more comfortable with the two of us being lovers."

 _What?  
_ "Wha-What?" Red really, really is a lovely color.

Meliodas had those hands of his resting behind his head as he walked back to the doorway. He stopped there and held a hand out for her with a rather dashing smile, "Are you coming, Izzy?"

"Oh! Ye-yes, Captain!" She sprinted up to him and as they walked out together, she 'eeped' when he grabbed a firm hold on her rear.

"Maybe... save the captain bit for bedroom talk—otherwise we'll never get anything done."

"Oh! Okay... Sir Meliodas." Bedroom talk?

"And I haven't forgotten about all those times you abused that tasty lip... what goes around comes around, Izzy."

"It, it does?" Project Stop Glowing, commence! Project Act Like a Grown Woman: pending.

"Mmmhmm."

^.~

The King of Fae Kind sat on the top one of Camelot's secluded towers, meditating.

Through closed eyes, he examined the seals. As a magical king, he was privy to three of the nine seals. His Sight revealed the seals whole and firm, still a masterpiece of powers wrought from light. Darker forces seeking to destroy lives the goddesses granted could never pass seals such as these. Not even in the 2,500 years since their creation have they so much as faded.

Granted, this could be because there had only been one king before himself to have held them... but he highly doubted the transfer of Guardians would have that kind of effect. Just to be safe though, perhaps he should not only investigate Excalibur for himself but write his own letter to Queen Veronica. If the kingdom's histories were passed down to Margaret, it was possible that she left out a detail about the seals that could be crucial to their survival should one of her three be damaged.

 _Just what could Lost have meant by frayed? Frayed is not broken nor cracked... such an odd word to use when speaking of a weakening seal._

Could the sword have been making them worry over nothing? Where was that lazy Ban anyway? Why hadn't he shown up to return Excalibur?

Why did Elaine have to give it to HIM of all people. It was already bad enough that he'd stolen his sister's heart, must he steal the sacred sword belonging to humanity too?

He sat there looking over the seals again and again. Every pulsing flicker, every motion of liquid light. To the untrained eye capable of a very rare gift of Sight, they would not but look like shimmering reflections of ever rippling moonlight. These same seals had bound the demon king, a being so wretched that not even his son could stand to walk his path. Fortunately, Meliodas had not been the first to turn from their king... but he had been the last. King shivered, recalling the Demon King's fury, there may never be another demon willing to rise from the shadows. ...Not after that. Upon his eventual demise, the seals were soon needed again to bind and hold Hecate. Or better known in her incarnate form: Queen Mab.

Graces plead that she simply wither and fade away like the abhorred Demon King.

* * *

 **Welcome back my lovelies! I'm so excited about this story's progression! It's been a long road and it's still got a ways to go... short stories are no fun for me. ^^;;**

 **AAAAND... Let me be the first to say:**

 **YES!  
** **Izzy was  
** **TOTALLY FANGIRLING!  
** **Seriously... can ya blame her!?**

 **XD**

 **I love you guys! So many comments!  
** **Here is that extra conversation. :3**

* * *

*Diane and Hawk both run into the tavern where Gowther stands at the bar with a few beakers in front of him*

Diane: WE'RE HOOOME!

Hawk: _WHERE IS THAT DIRTY BASTARD? I'M GONNA KICK HIM TO NEXT MONTH!_

Diane: *rolls eyes and folds arms* Geez, Hawk. You're getting all worked up over nothing!

Hawk: *hops up and down* But, but, but,but,butbutbutbut!

Diane: Yesh... chill out! *looks around* The place looks great! Elizabeth wasn't kidding when she said she was gonna clean. That girl doesn't know how to relax! Where is everybody?

Gowther: *looks up from where he'd been pouring one substance into another* The princess and the captain left thirty-three minutes ago.

Diane: No kidding...

Hawk: WHAT!? Where'd they go?!

Gowther: Sir Hawk? The captain instructed me to give you a verbal message upon your return. Shall I relate it now?

Hawk: *huffing* Yes yes! Hurry up! I gotta find them!

Gowther: The captain said to tell you he was taking Elizabeth out to find her carpet.

Hawk: WHAT?!

Gowther: And then he said to say that she looked excited.

Hawk: _WHAT?!_

Gowther: And lastly, he spoke of how he would be the princess' personal carpenter and—

Hawk: EEEEEEK!

Gowther: that he was going to teach her how to properly hold his wood—

Hawk: *dead*

Gowther: —en basket. *thinks* proper handling techniques are important.

Diane: *sigh* I dropped the basket once. Groceries went everywhere, it was awful! It's good that Captain is making sure she does it right.

Gowther: Indeed. *sets vial down and examines another in the light*

 **All for you my lovelies!**

 **Seriphia  
** **aka  
** **Lick**

 **hehe~㈴6~hehe**


	27. Of Kings and Dastardly Men II

**The Fanfic Goddess has used her divine abilities to place the commandments so lovingly bestowed upon her in her profile where they will forever be etched in stone.**

 _ **She licks you all!**_

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **I lick your beautiful face!**

 **PippElulu : Fangirling is great! And she better have been judging your utter cuteness and cuteness alone, DAMNIT! Dun make me go over there and throw out some divine intervention!  
** **BettyDearest : XD I wanted to throw yall off a bit, so by no means did I intend to start the chappie off right where we left off! XD And Yea, it could quite possibly have been one of the most awkward days of her life! All 400 years! Lol! Yeees... poor poor Arthur... THANKU Betty! My love for you runs deep!  
** **Maeko-chan** **: Yaaaay for fangirling! *snicker* Yea, that Meli just wanted consent to kick his royal but further away from Izzy. XD hehe!  
** **L-chan** **: Oooooo! Lookit the L-chan and her fangirling self! Haha! You're so cute! Daydream one or three for me gurl! Half their good points is... reasonable! Heh.  
** **Guest** **: Arrrrgh! I did it! Right on schedule! Wahaha!  
** **EarthenKnight** **: King's only ability is to look at the seals, Sight was just the best thing I thought to call it, but yes, it's NOTHING like Merlin's Sight. ;) Only for checking seals. ^.^ Awkward was the name of the game last chap. :D Consider it one of the more goofy episodes after a few serious ones.  
** **MuggleBlu** **: AWWWW! You want the UA I have here as a lifelong partner! (not whatcha said but that's how I'm gonna define it!)! YAY! We shall go pick out curtains tomorrow! *swoon*  
** **WhispersToWolves** **: Hehehe! At this point, I wonder how many times he's considered bustin outta those ropes. Man must have balls of steel! GRANDE COJONES! XD I'm so glad you liked it, personally I am EXTREMELY proud of last chap. It's up there in my top five favorites! ^.^  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: *clings in a hug* You PROMISE!? No leave RIGHT?! You STAY! I kinda like ya. =^.^= Indeed, Izzy is growing—the Sins are really opening her eyes to what life can become outside Liones. ROFL! What do YOU think Meli was implying? Ehehehe!  
** **Dom** **: HAHAHA! Laughing ure ass off AND turned on? NICE! No I don't! You need to do that to me, cuz I WANNA! XD Book it in the next chap wouldja? Mmmmm, yes, he was being VERY demonic with that knee cutting her off! Such a small sentence changed the WHOLE flavor of the moment for Izzy! And last, hold onto that couch, Dom! You never know what's gonna happen if I keep getting 13 comment! *rofling*  
** **MyLuv** **: What's gonna be Luv? Destroy Camelot, or kick the King? It was one or the other with that blush on Izzy's face. Kehehe... Yea, that chappie was definitely one of MY favorites that I've written. Her daydreaming like that was TOO fun (I talk to myself too, you are not alone!)! I'm so glad the 13 bonus dialogue was such a hit! I thought it was funny, but at the same time couldn't help but wonder if I was reaching a bit too far. ^^;;  
** **Stormie** **: OMG These are some long licks Stormie~bae! We talked over some of this last night so... *skipping over some* HAHA! YES! She SOOOO just lit his fire by her attempt! Hang in there Elizabeth! XD He** ** _does_ like her calling him captain... puurrrrr... LOL! He's a demon, he's GOTTA be good at seducing! HAH! *thinks of that NASTY demon that attacked Elaine's fountain and shutters* There was a smaller scene in a past chapter where Merlin met with Mab if you recall... *gets all mysterious and close-mouthed* luv ya!  
** **Raqualia** **: Hehehehehe! I've been pming you so... lol, *lick lick!* Tell the kitties hiya for meeee!**

Of Kings and Dastardly Men  
Part II

It was early morning when Ban roused from the table, grimacing from the ache in his neck from sleeping like the dead with his head on the table like that.

"Tch, fuckin witch..." He growled as he snapped his neck first left, then right. Whatever the hell time it was, he needed to get back to his ship, _Pretty sure Lamb Chop is a little steamed at me by now..._

By now he could find his way back to the lake of Avalon with his eyes closed. A big part of him still felt as though Elaine being alive and well as surreal... and if by some chance it was, he sure as hell wasn't going to sit around Capt's smelly old tavern. There was brainstorming to be done. If Elaine's replacement wasn't going to be King, then who was he supposed to drag over here? He's the only person he could think of that fit the bill!

With the moon still on its lazy decline, things were dull around the lake. Calling for Elaine never worked, so he just ducked into the ship's cabin and entertained himself by hammering quite a few of the bones he'd taken from Avalon onto the walls in the shape of several different creatures. None of them looked quite right, the bones being human, but it gave the room the right kind of appeal to one such as Ban the undead.

He laid into his hammock and looked over his handy work with a curled smile and inevitably dosed off. Waking up with the cabin all fancy now was pretty cool. He decided his two favorites were definitely the fox and dragon skeletons.

Soon boredom took him again and he made his way back on deck. Ban stopped as he was ducking out of the entrance with a hand on the top of the door frame when he saw his love perched calmly on the wheel of his ship.

She looked gorgeous with the setting sun behind her. Had he really been in that cabin all day? He could smell her sweet scent of honeysuckles from here. What a grand prize he had in store for him! No harm in a little pre-victory taste, right? ...There was one major problem with her sitting there though. His lady wasn't paying his arrival any interest at all. Greedy bastard that he is, he wasn't having that... What's worse. she was fiddling with that sword of the captain's.

 _Is she... cleaning her fingernails with that damn cursed sword? What the fuck?!_

A brow raised at the sight of her, _You just HAAAD to have her talk to Merlin, didn'tcha Lick? Really? You gotta let these things go... Fuuuuuuck._ "Whatcha got there, Lamb Chop?"

Those spell-binding golden eyes looked him over then—and they did not look happy. What was exciting about that to the Fox Sin though, was that she didn't look particularly angry either.

His precious Lamb Chop looked positively sadistic.

More than just his blood rumbled as he enjoyed her voice within him as she said...

"Let's discuss exactly _why_ pulling a stunt like you did yesterday would have never worked..."

^.~

Elizabeth had to take her victories where they came. Walking about town with Meliodas had a certain calming effect that she cherished. That and there were so many things to look at that she couldn't possibly allow herself to be pulled back into a day dream. It would have been horrible if she was to bump into someone!

The two of them returned to a pub occupied only by Diane. She was sitting at a table leaning her chin in her hand petulantly. As soon as Meliodas opened the door, she whined, "Is it time to go yet?"

The Dragon Sin smiled at her as he waited for Elizabeth to walk in first while he said, "Sure is!"

"YAY!" Diane's chair tipped over as she jumped in her joviality.

Elizabeth smiled with her and snatched the medium-sized rolled-up rug the captain held. "Just let me put this away first, Lady Diane."

As the two Sins watched her head upstairs, Diane cupped a hand and yelled up at her, "Don't waste anytime packing! Those nice guys at Alma's Springs said they have everything we need!"

Meliodas smirked at her with his hands in his pockets, "Even sake?"

Diane clapped her hands together and tilted her head excitedly, "I can't BELIEVE they actually have sake! _Sake!_ "

"Yea, it is pretty rare around these parts," her captain nodded back to her.

^.~

This bath house was fashioned in the style of the Orient. Elizabeth had at first found it curious that the employees here all seemed to have the same slanted angle to their eyes as Sir Ban. Was he from where ever they were from? Being here felt like she'd stepped into an entirely different kingdom. Ornate golden dragons decorated the walls of the room they checked into, and were soon given towels and a room to change in.

Diane's giddiness was rubbing off on her, and soon they were both running outside to the spring, clinging to the small purple towels they wore. Both of them stopped at the sight of it. Large rock structures dipped into water-smoothed stone where spring water stretched out arms of steam that reached up to the night sky.

"Woah..." Diane thought out loud. "Captain was right, this place is great!" She quickly stripped off the towel, carelessly discarding it on the ground and jumped into the spring.

After the initial gawking at Diane's absence of modesty, Elizabeth tip-toed to the water. She was certainly going to keep her towel on. To the sound of Diane's loud, "Ahhhhhhhh," she stepped into the water and quickly duplicated the giantess' noise, reclining into the waters languidly. It seemed ashame to close her eyes amid such beauty, but the water was simply too soothing not to.

"This is _wonderful_ , Lady Diane, thank you so much."

Her ear twitched when she heard water swishing near her and she lazily peeked an eye open. Diane was pulling some sort of floating disk and scooting next to her. "What is that?" Elizabeth asked, not really caring too much.

"Oh this?" Diane giggled conspiratorially, "this is the best part!"

The princess sat up straighter, officially curious now. "It is?"

"Yep!" On what seemed to be a floating plate sat a relatively small jug and four small, odd shaped cups. They were short little things that widened at the top; they could almost be like tiny, deep plates. The Serpent Sin handed her one with a exuberant smirk and poured clear liquid into it.

Elizabeth carefully brought it to her and smelled it while Diane shot down her first and poured another. "Lady Diane? I cannot place this smell, what is this?"

"It's sake, Elizabeth, now drink it cuz this might be the only place around here that actually has it." She already had a hint of red to her cheeks as she frowned at the princess.

The Siren Sin's ears lowered, she didn't want to be rude if this was a delicacy! She closed her eyes and upended the strange little cup up. The fluid slipped right down her throat as though it knew where it belonged. It had tasted _good_ too... Elizabeth frowned. "Why must they give us such tiny portions?"

"Who knows?" Diane groaned, pulling another floating plate to them. "Stingy jerks probably think we won't drink as much if we have to keep pouring it but... hehe!" She refilled both their cups, "we'll get our money's worth!"

Elizabeth giggled, and took a smaller sip of her drink this time. "It's wonderful!"

"Hell yea it is!" Diane giggled with her.

Conversation did not seem very important after long. Both the ladies sat back and sighed in their contentment. Elizabeth felt all her woes slip away. The water here felt like liquid silk! It was heavenly! She hadn't realized she was giggling again, watching her arm lift and fall from the water until Diane began laughing next to her.

"What's so funny, Elizabeth?"

"Hehe, oh, nothing really, I was just thinking that this must be what Sir Meliodas' hair feels like all wet!"

"Hahaha! Like water? Are you kidding? 'Lizabeth, ure soo funny!"

"Nono no! It feels... thicker than water." The princess held out a handful of water to her friend as though it would make a difference.

Hmm. It did. Imagine that. Diane's eyes widened, staring into Elizabeth's hand, "Wooooah... it's like, like... like molten GOLD!"

Elizabeth giggled again.

The calming atmosphere disintegrated when two bodies suddenly jumped into the water, effectively jumping over them, and canon balling into the middle of the spring in front of them. Well, one did a nice canon ball, the other was just sort of... a heap of flailing appendages.

Diane immediately rescued the closest sake jug to her and glared at the new arrivals, "HEY! Careful, damnit! We've got drinks over here!"

Meliodas' head popped out of the water with a carefree and incredibly happy smile, "Sorry about that. I had to get King in before he decided it wasn't his bath night." He then lifted both his hands from the water, showing two new unopened jugs of sake. "We brought more!"

"Yaaay!" Diane squeaked and crawled on all fours to snatch one.

By now the two girls had consumed three bottles between them already, and their cheeks were fairly rosy. Frankly, it wouldn't occur to a certain naïve little princess that it was even alcoholic until the following morning. At the sight of Meliodas, she began an exulted choir of laughs and giggles. Yes, she was _that_ happy to see him.

The Sin captain smiled back at her and asked Diane under his breath how much they'd already had to drink—to which Diane proudly lifted one of the hands she crawled with to point at the three empty jugs sitting off to the side. "We're starting a wall of shame! Tehe!"

When the giantess lowered her hand back into the water, she felt something foreign under it, "Huh?" She lifted her hand and peered into the steamy water where she saw King under there, desperately holding his nose while unwilling to rise out of the water for air now that his goddess was hovering above him; he was feeling rather awkward in nothing but his birthday suit. "King!" She grabbed him and held him tightly to her, swinging his legs back and forth, which gave him a different reason for his lack of oxygen. "You silly, silly little guy! You're not a fish!"

"Ahahahaha!" Elizabeth pointed and laughed, "Fishy King! Fishy King!"

Meliodas' smile decreased with his prey looking at the fairy instead of him and walked up the her sitting against the rocks while she poured another cup. Watching her down the drink and begin to pour more, he slipped it right out of her fingers. She whimpered, actually whimpered, and he began reaching deep inside himself for self control from the sound of it.

"I got something for ya, Elizabeth." He said while pushing the floating disc of sake away.

Her eyes followed the sake with something close to pouting, then Meliodas held a hard ball of candy melted onto a stick out for her. "Try this."

With ears that perked up excitedly, she took it quickly. "A sucker? Oh Sir Meliodas I haven't had one of these since I was little!"

"A sucker huh? That's a nice name for it," he smirked.

All throughout their exchange, King was still being coddled by a rosy cheeked Diane—dying a happy man with his nose still plugged.

"Now, this is very important," Meliodas chuckled. "When you eat it, you gotta say, 'mmm, it's so good!'"

"Mmmmm! It's sooo good! Cherry!" Elizabeth giggled.

An immensely pleased grin came onto the Dragon Sin's face, only to then be surprised when the princess removed it from her mouth and held it out to him. "Try it, Sir Meliodas!"

Elizabeth flavored candy? "Sure!" He opened his mouth and she put it right inside, giggling.

This was too much... he couldn't ravage her senseless while she was drunk! No, he needed to do that with her sober first. Elizabeth pulled the candy from his mouth and planted it back in hers and hummed delightfully, much to the demon's pleasure. She looked amazing all wet like this...

He couldn't help himself! Just one look... he hovered his head over a bosom heaving from drunken, candy happiness and hooked a finger into her towel and got an extremely rewarding view of elven bosom—until the giggling princess slapped his hand away, "Sir Meliodas! No peeking!"

THAT was surprising... Meliodas wondered if that reaction was drunk behavior or 'we've kissed now' behavior. He found that he didn't care while she toyed with that candy in her mouth.

No one could say he wouldn't listen though. Meliodas did not peek again (not this night). The princess did share her candy more, and he found himself wondering if something so simple was as intimate to her as it was to him.

It would have appeared that the sake took its toll on Meliodas eventually as he leaned against Elizabeth's shoulder with an arm innocently wrapped around her torso, but that wasn't the truth of the matter. With this woman, his whole world had turned upside down—and with the topsy turvy~ness came an inner peace that he'd never thought any member of his kind could ever be blessed with. So as Elizabeth giggled at the other two in the spring, the demon lord simply relaxed, supremely content with the elf that never once objected to him being in the bath with her... even if she had told him not to peek. The sight of Diane giving King Eskimo kisses was pretty comical though. The fairy looked to be in a daze! Surely these waters and drink had a little bit of magic in them. The princess' ear twitched when she heard sudden heavier breaths than normal right next to her. With a glance at Meliodas next to her, she smiled.

He had fallen asleep!

 _What a wonderful night..._

Not having the heart to disturb him, the sake's heavy hand did take a toll on her... it was King and Diane who roused the captain when it was time to leave. Getting home for Elizabeth was a blur, but fortunately she had a very caring knight to help see her safely to her bed.

Morning came far too early.

" _Captain!_ " The Grizzly Sin burst into his room where Meliodas had held Elizabeth close to him the entire remainder of the night ( _model gentlemen that he is_ ). Both Dragon and Siren looked up at him with squinted eyes. "Gowther said that he sensed unusual magic at the castle! We need to check it out at once, it could be an attack!"

Elizabeth gritted her teeth at an oncoming headache, "Oh my... you don't think it's Jericho and Guila do you?"

Meliodas growled, "It better not be..." as he sat up begrudgingly.

Stuck in yesterday's slept in clothes due to King's rush, Diane, King, Gowther, Elizabeth and Meliodas arrived on the scene in record time, the Goat Sin first leading them to the Equestrian Grounds where they could hear the horse master barking out orders left and right.

The Sins were stunned when they saw a blue and pink speckled horse run by.

All the horses were discolored! Not a single one was the majestic Lipizzaner breed Camelot favored. It was as though a basket full of Easter eggs had sprouted legs and ran a muck! The horses were running around in complete anarchy. It was the keen eye of the Siren Sin that spotted a flash of white racing past one of the mares while Meliodas merely chuckled at such disarray. That white had been brighter than any of Master Nimue's steeds...

She narrowed her eyes, her suspicions all but confirmed from the brief sighting, and grabbed Meliodas' hand. Elizabeth's headache was growing worse by the minute as she ran to the castle, pulling the Dragon Sin with her. Diane and King went followed, calling out questions but she wasn't listening well enough to answer. The grand doors sat open wide as they normally were come morning, and in her haste, released her captain's hand as she raced up the steps with her comrades close behind.

It would have been better had Elizabeth continued holding her knight's hand however, for as soon as she stepped foot into the castle's large entry, her boot slipped and she tumbled down onto the marble floor now _completely_ covered in mud. Her scream was Meliodas' protective call and the Fox Sin's laughter.

The large room was bordered by a balcony walkway, and up on two sides of the room each stood a man with a bucket. To the right, Ban the undead, laughing at Elizabeth now in the mud; to the left stood her guild mate Aral, with somewhat wilted ears at the sight of his princess falling from their antics.

And directly in the middle of the room, stood his twin sister Lara—guilty with bucket of mud in hand, dumping it onto the floor. The green-headed vixen was staring at Elizabeth, frozen like she'd just been caught with her hands in the cookie jar.

The other deadly Sins stopped at the entryway as a _very_ irate and disheveledprincess rose back to her feet practically growling at the archer in front of her.

Lara stood up straight and hid the bucket behind her back, "Ahaha... Hiya Izzy! Nice, hehe, place ya got here!"

Her greeting was swallowed by both Ban and Aral's laughter echoing off the walls then. Elizabeth grew furious from their laughing. She was a guest in this city and suddenly these two show up and wreck the king's castle with their pranks? In an angry march toward Lara she sung out, "That's it! Give me your bow!"

Lara's eyes grew wide and she snatched the bow off her back and held it tightly to her chest, the bucket plopping to the floor. "Not Lan—ACK!"

The princess dived at the archer and down they both went right into the gargantuan puddle of mud with a loud splat. Neither seemed like they cared as both their scantily clad bodies were coated in glistening wetness as Elizabeth tried to wrestle the bow from Lara's hands. The elves rolled and tumbled, Elizabeth growling and Lara yelping and wriggling.

"Captain! Shouldn't we stop them?" Diane was biting her fingernails, having never seen such ferocity from the elven princess before.

Meliodas just stood there in the doorway, never once trying to peel his eyes from Elizabeth, "Why? No reason to stop a good thing, eh King?"

King gulped, "G,g,good...?" His eyes widened under Diane's stare, "this is _not_ good, Captain!"

"Sounds like those two would disagree." Meliodas replied, motioning his head to both sides where Aral and Ban were now on their backs, taken over by a laughing riot.

On the balcony walkway opposite from where the Sins stood at the entry, came King Arthur. He'd quickly become extremely curious about the many sounds bouncing off the walls throughout castle. Upon learning its source, he stood petrified—completely flabbergasted, clutching the ornate railing with both hands. Arthur was rendered unable to speak or move in his surprise of the filth-ridden room and the two dirty, dirty girls fighting in the middle of it.

It seemed like the mud had made its way to every voluptuous curve and every tantalizing crevice as the elves continued fighting and crying out at the other. By the time Elizabeth noticed Arthur, Ban was practically in tears, and Diane was huffing in her jealousy at not even a single person looking at her.

Elizabeth grunted at her guild mate, snatching the bow from her with the very vehemence that a siren might feel for a sailor intruding in her waters. Lara whimpered when her bow was slipped through her slippery fingers, sulking as she lifted up just after Elizabeth did.

The room was suddenly intensely quiet.

That is, until Elizabeth began stumbling over her own words in a frantic attempt at an apology. Not a soul other than Lara (who was wringing her long curly hair out and pointlessly dusting off her clothes) moved as she sputtered.

Soon, Elizabeth realized her own blubbering and quieted, taking a deep breath. Why had the king himself come to investigate? She was so embarrassed she thought she'd die—this kind of mortification didn't give her the same inner warmth that her other recent embarrassments had and she was at a complete loss of what to do.

 _What are these two DOING here?!_

So with another deep breath or three, and a demon behind her smiling broadly, Elizabeth projected her voice clearly. She could only pray it held authority she by no means felt.

"King Arthur. "

 _Oh Goddesses PLEASE don't have the king banish us from the kingdom for this..._

"If I may, might I introduce you to two fellow members of the archer's guild from my kingdom... Aral and Lara of the noble house of Guinevere."

 **Lara and Aral would like to wish everyone a happy APRIL FOOLS DAY! HAHAHA!**

 **Toldja they were pranksters!**

 **Dea, Stormie, HANG IN THERE! XD I lick you and pray that helps ease your pain (if the mud wrestling didn't already XD)!**

 **We reached my lucky number AGAIN! Aww guys! You're so awesome! Here is your just deserts!**

Hawk: *wobbles in sad attempt at a run (with swirls for eye) toward Gowther in middle of Equestrian Grounds where horses still run rampid* There you are FIEND!

Gowther: *turns and adjusts glasses* Pardon? The common definition of fiend is an evil spirit or demon. To whom do you speak, Sir Hawk?

Hawk: *tries not to fall over while standing still* YOU! What did, did, didja do to me?!

Gpwther: *tilts head* I do not understand your concern.

Hawk: You don't, do ya? *droops head like it's hard to stay awake*

Gowther: *holds finger up matter-of-factly* Indeed. The captain said he feared you were rather ill with a severe case of alcohol-induced kidney disease, so I took the liberty to assist by immediate extraction. Although your kidneys did appear healthy once I was able to examine them closer.

Hawk: Ex... examine closer...?

Gowther: Hmm. The captain is not a doctor, there is a probability that his diagnosis was inaccurate. *holds two fingers up for peace* Though I have heard it is better to error on the side of caution.

Hawk: *falls over with a whine*

Gowther: There was a ninety-eight percent chance for your survival, however such a statistic was when you were still safely in recovery.

Hawk: I can see pink horses... x.X

Gowther: Indeed. The anesthetics you are currently under are not hallucinogens. There really are abnormally colored equestrians currently.

Hawk: *mumbles in drug-induced state* There you are, fiend...

Just for you, my lovelies!  
Happy April Fools Day!

 _Seriphia_  
aka  
Lick!

;P


	28. Sinful Huntsman

**The Fanfic Goddess has used her divine abilities to place the commandments so lovingly bestowed upon her in her profile where they will forever be etched in stone.**

 _ **She licks you all!**_

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **Like Lick's licks cuz Lick likes to lick a face like ures!**

 **iBookKeeper** **: Indeed! Haha, typical twiny~ness! Hehe XD  
** **EarthenKnight** **: No, no paint, but they certainly did SOMETHING... and yea, taking the bow kinda is sumthin like that. XD Poor twins!  
** **BettyDearest** **: Ban, his match? o.O NAH! Pssshh... ROFL! She will find a way to keep that Sin on his toes... and yea, hehe! Arthur is so much fun!  
** **RounJian** **: I don't know if I can take you up on that demand Roun! Hehe, Arthur is just gonna have to suk it up. lol  
** **MuggleBlu** **: You're welcome! It was crazy fun to write! XD  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: Those twins might be killed yet... they're gonna have to watch their step! I wonder how Ban's ass got roped in with them... hehehe! And yes, Meli knows it's the lil things in life that are precious—like giving Hawk heart attacks. LOL Night night gurlie!  
** **FlameDragonHime** **: IKR! It is a CRAZY combination! o.o How does he DO IT!? Thank you so much Hime-chan! It means a lot!  
** **Stormie** **: Lol gettum Elaine. HAHA! Gimmie that sake woman! Haven't had any in sooooo looong! T.T No one is totally clear in where the Kaine stands,  
that's why Meli keeps teasing them about it. If they are up to sumthin, they're keeping it low profile...  
** **WhispersToWolves** **: Sorry it took so long! ^^;; I was a tad worn out. Thank you so much for that tho, and I shall try to make sure you no wait this long ever again, unfortunately I should not make that promise tho... what with the future being unforeseen and all. o.o  
** **L-chan** **: Matchmaker? ME?! Hmmm... I just have no idea what it is you are saying. Why oh WHY are the Guinevere twins in Camelot... WHY!? (hehehe!)  
** **DragonFan** **: Concerned? CONCERNED?! … *watches carefully for men in white jackets* No reason whatsoever to be concerned... ain't nobody here but us otakus! o.o;; FEAR NOT WHAT THE LICK DOES -ahem- Everything's just gravy!  
** **MyLuv** **: Ban did NOT put him in that bottle... just had to say that first of all, tho it was pretty GREAT that he kept him in it. HA! Yup! He really did take her carpet shopping! XD Hawk worries too much! Mmmm.. candy for the dirty, dirty girl. Mmmmm...  
** **PippElulu : *hugs* I luv you so much *pets* Can I keep you? *squeezes* Pleeeeze?  
** **Dom** **:** **o.o Stawp? STAWP?! o.O But but but but... If I stop then... WHAT WILL I DOOO!? *bites nails and rows twitchy* Please Massa... not the ruler again, Lick be good! Lick be good! ...eventually.**

* * *

Sinful Huntsman

"King Arthur. "

 _They're both—completely soaked..._

Arthur wondered if he should avert his eyes. There was something incredibly indecent about the two women right at that moment, and the fact that they were both wearing white did not help.

"If I may, might I introduce you to two fellow members of the archer's guild from my kingdom... Aral and Lara of the noble house of Guinevere."

Arthur would have been hard pressed to hear anything less than the clear voice Elizabeth projected. Somehow, even with white clothes irreversibly ruined by a most unforeseen mud bath, she managed to keep her royal prowess. Perhaps he could learn a thing or two from her.

Nah. After all, he's not the one marinating in a huge puddle of mud.  
"Guinevere...?"

Aral was peering over the railing looking at Lara forlornly, who was sidestepping over to Elizabeth. Ban was leaning over the railing on the room's opposite side, still grinning like he'd gotten the last cookie all to himself.

"Er, ahem. Of course, Princess Elizabeth, any friend of yours is a friend of mine." He scratched his head with an awkward half smile, "A pleasure to meet you, Lara and Aral of Guinevere."

With a visible sigh of relief, Elizabeth then pulled the bow Lara was now tugging at away from her and gazed darkly at her. "Lara, you will not leave this room until you have cleaned this place up!" The princess' ear twitched when Aral began slinking away and she quickly turned to him with an accusatory finger. "That goes for you too Aral! You too will hand over your bow and neither of you will get them back until you report back to me at the Boar Hat." Elizabeth's head hurt too much for this.

"Aww..." Aral sulked openly, but swung his legs over and jumped down into the mud anyway and trudged solemnly to her. Under Elizabeth's glare, the elven archer knelt before her and offered up his bow. She took it with an arched eyebrow before she turned back to the king of Camelot. "I would ask that you do not send any assistance to these two. They are notorious for their extra-curricular activities and need to know that these sorts of things will come with severe penalties."

Meliodas smiled as he watched Elizabeth take charge. He'd meant it when he'd told her before that he loved it when she acted all regal. Glancing up at Ban still on the balcony, he murmured, "Cept you Ban. You get to be on clean-up crew too."

"What? Seriously Capt? Come on now, I was just a victim of circumstance..." He didn't even try to say it with a straight face.

 _Ban has a new scar on his chest... how'd that happen?  
_ Meliodas pressed his lips together and hummed, "I think we should be able to see our reflection by the time you give it a nice polish."  
 _I should probably look into what Merlin did with Lost._

Diane was snickering at the scrunch-nosed face Ban flashed the captain. Arthur was looking between the elves and the Sins, actually curious if he had a say on the matter, and Elizabeth was giving Meliodas a relieved and genuine smile. His backup seemed so easy-going, so natural.

Like they were partners.

The blush rising on her cheeks was well hidden underneath the mud as Elizabeth silently thanked him. She jumped when Arthur spoke up, "Princess Elizabeth? Should I -um- ask a maid to draw you a bath?"

"Oh! Eheh, no no! It's fine!" She practically squeaked, "I um, will be waiting for these three to finish back at the Boar Hat." She paused, a traitorous pair of ears twitching as another thing occurred to her. "Lara... did you... use your illusions to color the horses outside?"

A snicker poured out of her gritted teeth, "Hehe! Ya liked that, didja?"

" _NO!"_ Elizabeth all but growled. "Horsemaster Nimue works hard to make that their home, and you spooked them horribly! And don't think I didn't notice your stags egging them on!"

Lara's eyes widened when the princess took a step toward her, "Okay! Okay! Illusions gone!"

A bit of mud flicked from Elizabeth's hair as she whipped her head to Aral, "And your stags?"

He suddenly stood up straighter, "They'll be good!"

Even doused in mud, somehow Elizabeth managed to command the twins with dignity. "They had better. Return to the Boar Hat just as soon as you are finished, and we will discuss why you are here." With a slender, brow arched, she watched the two from the corner of her eye in an attempt to look at them how Merlin sometimes looked at others. "You'd best hurry... I am not in a patient mood today."

Lara's lip wobbled and Aral nodded, "Aye Ma'am! We'll be quick, Ma'am."

Lara couldn't stand Elizabeth keeping her bow from her! She just couldn't! Lara dived at Elizabeth's legs, pawing at them pleadingly, " _Puh-LEEZE_ gimmie back Lance-a-lot! _Pleeeeeeze!"_

"Absolutely not!" Elizabeth awkwardly tried shaking her off her, "not until you finish cleaning the mess you've made."

Lara whimpered sadly, releasing her.

With what the princess hoped was a respectful nod to the king (and reminding herself that she'd already apologized and did not need to do so again), she turned and walked past King, Diane, and Meliodas to escape the embarrassing situation as gracefully as possible.

It wasn't until she crossed the courtyard and breached the outer gates that Elizabeth paused, noticing all eyes on her. She must truly look a fright! Immediately regretting nibbling her lip (what a foul taste!), she began reevaluating Arthur's offer of a bath. Before she could do much more than fidget though, the captain came to stand by her and took her hand, holding it up with his and winked at the many gawkers. "You should see the other girl! We won!"

Laughter and even a few cheers could be heard as Meliodas started walking with her, King and Diane taking up the rear. Diane was bouncing up and down, loving all the attention her little group was getting.

"We won? Sir Meliodas?" Elizabeth spoke under her breath.

"Ya know, if you were into mud wrestling, you really should have told me sooner, Elizabeth."

"I should have...? No, wait! I'm not!"

"Hmm. That's too bad." The Sin turned to look straight into her rounded eyes, "looked like ya were pretty good at it."

"G-good at it...?" Elizabeth simply did not know how to respond.

"Oh cut it out, Captain." Diane rolled her eyes, "Come on, Elizabeth! We're almost home and we can get you in the shower. I think these clothes might be done for though."

Once back at the pub, Diane headed straight for the booze saying she should dispose of it before the twins got here. King sweatdropped when she began drinking straight from the barrel, "Umm... Diane? It's not even noon yet..."

Meliodas followed after Elizabeth, who immediately scurried upstairs after pulling off the boots that had made a constant squishing sound the whole way home. She'd done her best to ignore the horrible gritty feeling the dried mud had left her with, but now that she was home and ready to wash—she could stand it no longer. Padding across the floor, the princess fled to the bathroom. Meliodas chuckled to himself, closing the bedroom door behind him. Taking a leisurely stroll through the bedroom, he knocked on the bathroom door. "Elizabeth?"

His eyes widened a little when he heard a bang come from inside and inquired, "You okay?"

"Um... yes. It's uh... just a little slippery in the tub."

A smile spread on the knight's face, "Well, you're probably the slippery one. You may need some help this time, Elizabeth."

"No! Um... no, I'm fine."

Meliodas' smile faded and he folded his arms.

"..." He could hear a bit more shuffling and then her voice calling, "Um, wait. Sir Meliodas? How... how does the water start raining?"

The smile returned, and Meliodas sung out happily. "Coming in!" The Dragon Sin opened the door and walked in, chuckling at the muddy princess trying to hold the thin curtain bordering the tub around her body without getting any mud on it. He paused at the sight of it. The little elf looked so awkward, clinging to her modesty in such a way.

"They call it a shower," Meliodas said and stepped up to the tub, pulling a valve on the faucet up before activating the water.

Elizabeth gasped as cold water hit her feet and she began to slip again, but her knight was there in a heartbeat to steady her. With one hand holding hers, and the other around her waist, Meliodas looked into her eyes. She could hardly even stand with all this mud everywhere! These shower things must be the leading cause of household casualties! With a press of her lips and a twitch of her ear, Elizabeth confessed defeat. "I... I think I may need help after all, Sir Meliodas."

Being sure to simmer his grin down to a small half-smile, he spoke softly. "No shame in admitting you need help, Elizabeth."

The princess wriggled under the hand on the opposite side of the thin, treated hide of the curtain resting on her waist. With a sigh, she finally voiced the thing that had been digging at her from the beginning. "Oh Sir Meliodas... why must I be such a klutz around you?"

He chuckled, reaching for the soap and slowly coaxed her to turn around and lower the curtain. Then it was the simple matter of sidestepping her into the water raining down. Listening to her sigh contently under the now warm water, Meliodas chose his words carefully as he moved her hair over her shoulder. "I've got my own theory on that." He paused, being distracted watching the soap slide over her back and shoulders by nothing but his own hands. It was as though a layer of brown was melting away to reveal the sweet cream-filled center. The Sin's eyes lingered on the sludge slowly creeping down from her lower back and beyond. "I've seen you balance on rooftops, run on the thinnest of tree branches, and flip off high beams to land on your feet with more grace than a cat."

Meliodas could tell his lady was holding herself stiff under the water, most likely mortified that she was naked before him. He'd never get her to turn around and look at him the way she was now. As his hands finished washing her shoulders, the Dragon Sin opted for going lower down her back instead of tackling her arms as he continued. "I know you're not clumsy, just as you do..." Uncaring of getting himself wet, Meliodas brought two soapy hands around her waist while stepping into the over-sized tub with her. Holding her back to his chest closely under the shower, the blonde warrior spoke lowly in her ear, "but your typical dexterity doesn't work when you're around me because you haven't admitted how much you care for me."

She felt so perfect, against him like this. The water was rinsing her hair back to its platinum glory and Meliodas buried his face in it as a soapy hand slithered up between breasts to rest against her beating heart while he drawled out one more word, "...Yet."

For once, Elizabeth did not feel quite so timid. Just as she had sought out his bed while at the castle of Camelot; she'd asked him to help her in the shower—she knew she was naked... yet still... Not once had he ever refused her. While his words spoke of her affections for him-his fingers, hands, and strong arms translated them differently. Even the constant beat of his life force could be felt like a steady drum against her back... and for once, Elizabeth found herself capable of something more than blushing and stammering.

Perhaps it was the same brashness she'd possessed to tackle a guild mate when she'd caught her red-handed that enabled her to have the fortitude to speak smoothly to the Dragon Sin. She wanted courage, and today she had it, and this man would not rob her of it this time. With the warm water cleansing her bare body and sliding down every curve, all she felt was the man behind her and all it did was make her smile. A chill went up her spine when she realized she finally had the backbone she needed to bite back at this Sin that always left her completely discombobulated.

Taking pride in the fact, the princess hummed and turned around; she made sure that her body was close enough to his that he could see nothing but her face so her voice would be his main point of focus. Well, that and perhaps the arms she lifted to rest on his shoulders. The two of them stood almost at eye level as she smiled slyly at the demon who'd captured her, "An interesting hypothesis, Captain, but I think it may just be the other way around. After all, I am not the one hunting you."

Meliodas' hands were now on both her hips, and she'd felt his grip tighten just as soon as she'd called him captain. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and Meliodas discovered himself completely in awe. This daunting creature would always baffle him, but her gallantry was his gain. Here she was, the object of his desire in all her wet, naked glory... turning to face him with arms held straight against his neck. She'd called him captain.

He'd warned her about that.

If he was the huntsman, then he'd found his prey. Lifting a hand to cradle her head (and possibly keeping it from shying away), Meliodas could stand it no more and pressed her against him tighter and drove his tongue past her lips in violent haste. Encouraged by her sigh, the hand still at her hip edged down slippery slopes to take a hungry handful of elven rear. The taste of her was sublime and made him feel young again. Taken over by the beast inside, he pushed her against the wall as he nipped at her tongue. The squeal she produced from it was swallowed quickly, since he ensured that their lips were sealed together. His hands needed more—so much more. With the elven princess flush against the wall, the hand at her head began to travel, bringing a thumb to stroke down her long ear as his other fingers came to caress her cheek. He felt her body stiffen from his touch and he grinned to himself, having found a new way to play with her.

Breaking their kiss far too early left Elizabeth longing for more as Meliodas trailed his lips to the ear he wanted to tease her with. Just as soon as his teeth grazed the skin there, the princess tilted her chin up and moaned. That sound was obviously a yearning for him, so he smiled as he began to suck her earlobe and lifted his knee to the wall right where her legs joined out of a need to touch more of her than the mercy it inevitably wrought.

As if by instinct, Elizabeth immediately diverted her weight to the leg so kindly offered, groaning as her femininity enjoyed the sensations such a simple act brought her. The entirety of her body was on fire with his teeth nibbling at such a sensitive ear and a thigh against her core. When the Sin of Wrath dragged a hand to grasp at her breast while the other at her rump prodded her to brush against his leg, it was simply too much for her to take. However, as soon as she opened her mouth to wail, Meliodas recaptured her mouth to hog the enticing sound all to himself.

The princess' breasts were pressed against his chest so snugly that it was a wonder how he'd made room for his hand at all. The way he rocked her hips against him somehow had the same pulsing rhythm that he squeezed her. Elizabeth was no longer able to control her noise, thus Meliodas enjoyed a plethora of guttural vibrations in the kiss he had no wish to end. He could feel her shivering in his grasp, and it certainly wasn't from the cold, here under the blessedly warm water.

Meliodas was beginning to find it hard to keep under control. His arousal was becoming more and more consuming with every thrust his hand encouraged her hips to make. That pale, slender leg was rubbing against him and altering his previous plans of excessive teasing into something much, much more. When the silverette's trembling began to increase, the Sin captain let go of a hip quiet possibly bruised to creep up to hold her firm just under the breast that was not receiving the attentions her other was. He grunted in surprise when she continued swaying herself against his leg without his urging and was forced to lower his head into her shoulder, gritting his teeth. The view of their chests being mashed together did not help him regain much sanity though. Meliodas would never forgive himself if he hurt her.

A chorus of sounds leaked through the princess' lips then as her head rolled back to let the water drizzle down her bosom and continue its journey over her torso and further still. She increased the speed to which she grinded against the leg he held firm; the friction it caused being supremely more rewarding than the now laughable relief pressing her legs together used to grant. Her eyes opened to see hot mist fogging her vision of a moist ceiling when she heard him call, "Oh Izzy..."

"Caaaaptain...!" Elizabeth returned with a jaw hung slack. Something within her released when he called her and her whole body tightened while her fingers suddenly dug deeply into the soaked fabric of his shirt, clinging securely to his shoulders.

Meliodas growled into the bridge of her neck, smelling the sweet creams his princess was warming his leg with. Later he would fondly recall this scene and realize that she must have been wound pretty tightly to orgasm from nothing but his leg, but right now he was too far gone from the scent of Elizabeth's purity saturating him in its brilliance. Well, that and the nails he could clearly feel driving into his shoulders... and the silky softness of her skin, and the firm but squishy pleasantness of her breast.

The demon was panting, willing for the control he was unsure he possessed. How could a woman smell so good? Slowly, he brought both his hands to her cheeks and leveled the beautiful face back into his view. Through eyes a darker shade of green than she'd ever seen before, Meliodas gazed into the glazed, multi-colored eyes of the Siren Sin. Eyes such as these could seduce him with merely the slightest glance.

"You're right, Izzy... I have been hunting you."

Elizabeth sighed at his confession and delved past his lips, wishing to kiss him as well as he had her. Bringing fingers deft from centuries of stringing a bow to tangle in his hair, the princess began pushing against him. Meliodas hummed contently and let her gain ground, but then gasped in surprise when the elf suddenly spun his back around and against the wall with a kiss far more vigorous than just a moment ago. With far more arousal than he could have thought possible while still being clothed, he groaned into her lips and brought both his hands to where they belonged on her bottom.

It was Elizabeth who broke away, flushed and bewildered at her own lust filled state. Despite the fact however, her breaths became more steady upon seeing the excitement dancing in the demon's dark, ageless eyes. Her lips curled into a roguish smile as she leaned toward his ear and purred, "You shall not catch this princess today... Sir Dragon."

Meliodas' demonic eyes slitted for the briefest of seconds. The flash was so quick, it could have only been the imagination of the highly stimulated virgin goading him. In a husky voice and a rewarding squeeze to both sides of his princess' rear he replied, "We'll just see about that... should you return to our bed tonight, Izzy."

The chuckle she responded with had to have been modeled after Merlin's as she pulled away from him, wrapping herself in a towel after but a tease of her naked beauty. Elizabeth felt immensely proud that somehow she'd found her voice with this man and his advances as she winked at him and said, "Then I shall consider sleeping under the stars."

A gasp escaped her when Meliodas abruptly lowered himself down to one knee and slipped his hand into hers in one fluid movement. "I guess I'll have to pack for a hunting trip then..." and kissed her hand with steady lips, watching her from under his brows. A true look of a huntsman.

Elizabeth's cheeks were already dusted red from the intimacy they'd just shared, but her whole body flushed at the meaning past his eyes. He knew she wanted him now, and the games he'd been playing with her were no longer enough. At least—that's the way she defined the look he gave her. Through breaths now hoarse, she retreated from the bathroom.

The Sin captain's smile grew far more determined as he watched the door close behind her. After a moment of silent contemplation, a pile of wet clothes landed on the bathroom floor and the temperature of the water was switched to cold. He'd be in the shower for a bit longer.

Truly, the Siren Sin of Seduction knew her sin well... better than he'd thought. No matter. Soon the Dragon Sin would teach her the wrath she'd just brought upon herself.  
 _She still owes me a little punishment..._

^.~;;

It was a shame that the bottom of the lake of Avalon held such beauty when no one but her and a few water sprites could ever enjoy it. If only Elaine could bring Ban down here just once...

An impossibility to be sure, but a lovely dream. She could vividly remember the way he looked at her with that dagger in her hands. The way he'd managed to catch her off guard when she'd had every single one of her defenses up was mind-boggling. Elaine could remember the anger she felt with crystal-clear clarity.

She'd intended to list out the many reasons why dragging her brother to take her place was a horrible conclusion on his part, and how cruel it had been to keep him in that entrapment artifact to do it.

 _Honestly! Keeping a fairy in a bottle like that? How horrible!  
_ To some, that was a fairy's worst nightmare!

He hadn't let her get a single word of it out though. She'd been boiling over with anger when he'd emerged from the cabin, but once their eyes met... Apparently—the fire raging in her just added more tinder to his own. The moment she began her well-planned introduction, Ban was there, leaving not even an inch of space between them.

 _Red eyes swam with a longing she'd never forget as they stared into hers. His hand wrapped around fingers she used to hold the cursed blade as that smile remained curled wide across his face. Ban guided her hand up to his chest and slid the knife down, leaving a steady stream of bright red blood in its wake._

 _Even through the pain his voice purred out, "If you're gonna threaten someone, Lamb Chop, you're gonna need to be able go the distance. Mmmm... you ain't gonna have that melting talent of yours for much longer." Elaine gasped and managed to tilt the knife enough so that it was no longer cutting him. That was when he squeezed her hand in such a way that the thing simply fell from her fingers as he continued both their limb's southern path._

" _But cha should understand that," she could feel his lips grazing over hers, he was so close. As his free hand planted itself on the small of her back, his other brought hers to cup his groin, which was bulging against the red leather of his pants so much that it couldn't possibly be comfortable. Her heart began beating as fast as a humming bird's as he continued in a low, sultry droll. "Grabbing a man, mmhmm... right here... just might do that little intimidation trick soooo much better."_

 _That was when he forced her lips to his with such intensity that she whimpered and twitched her hand tighter right where he'd placed it._

Elaine shivered again, remembering the moan he expelled past her lips. That man would be the death of her...

And oh what a glorious death it will be...

* * *

 _ **HEY GUYS!**_

 **Sorry I'm so uber late with the chappie, my Zombie Nalu was running later than this so I had to get that up before this, and then there was this, and then there was that, but then, OMG there was the massive post-apocalyptic survival needs of Fallout 4...**

 **Swamped I tells ya, SWAMPED!**

 **I love you! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! We passed my lucky number yet again ( _I feel so loved!)!_ I love the mad support you all give me. *lick lick lick!***

* * *

Hawk: *bursts through bedroom door screaming and cursing at Meliodas*

Hawk: *looks around and screams when all he sees is Elizabeth trying to get dressed (still topless) and covers eyes with ears* Ohmygosh Elizabeth! I'm-so-sorry! Ban-said-ya-both-were-up-here-and-that-he-heard-funny-noises-and-I-thought-that-maybe-you-needed-my-help-and—

Elizabeth: *wonders how he can talk like that without taking a breath while quickly finishing getting dressed* Sir Hawk...!

Hawk: *peeks an eye at her by lifting one ear and sighs with relief to see her clothes on*

Elizabeth: *headache back with full force thanks to piggy's yelling* Sir Hawk... my head is hurting, please, please keep your voice down... *massages temples*

Hawk: Oh no! Elizabeth! *ears perk up as piggy senses tingle* Were you drinking last night?!

Elizabeth: Hmm? ...No, the springs were just serving this lovely tea called sake.

Hawk: EEEK! Elizabeth! That's not tea!

Elizabeth: *tilts head* It's not?

Hawk: No! That stuff is more alcoholic than Bernia Ale!

Elizabeth: Oh... *puts thoughtful finger to lips* That explains a lot... *blushes*

Hawk: *fuming* Rrrrrrrrrrrr... MELIODAS! *having heard the shower on, busts the bathroom door down*

Elizabeth: *listens with growing sweatdrop*

Meliodas: Oh, hiya Hawk!

Hawk: YOU TOOK HER TO ALMA'S SPRINGS AND GOT HER DRUNK!?

Meliodas: Nope, Diane took her.

Hawk: Oh yea? And I suppose you think I'm gonna believe SHE forced all that sake down her too?

Meliodas: Is _that_ what happened?

Hawk: I dunno, IS IT!? I was drugged.

Meliodas: Now Hawk, I hope you're not growing a dependency for that kinda stuff, you're talking kinda crazy.

Hawk: OH YEA!? I'LL SHOW YOU CRAZY!

*CRASH*  
*BANG*  
*SPLASH*  
*tinkle tinkle*

Elizabeth: *slinks downstairs*

* * *

 **All for you, my lovelies!  
** _ **Seriphia aka Lick**_

 ** _;P_**


	29. Precious Privacy Pending

**Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **SO MANY LICKS! I lick ure face and any owwies you may have. I have been told my licks have magnificent healing powers. Hehe! Pretty funny since I make a habit of poking unsuspecting peeps with the T-virus.**

 **THANKYOU MY LOVELIES! Xtra dialogue after whatever the hell comment I may make will be right there at the bottom! ;D**

 **BettyDearest** **: You always bring a smile to my face, my dearest. You are the rock I cling to in a sea of rapids, yet I am but the bear chasing after the delicious honey that is your essence—hovering above me, teasing me, taunting me. Well.. can't say I don't deserve the teasing. Ty so much Betty, and know that I love you. Lol! I still look at the fan art you gifted me with like... everyday. ㈴5  
** **Dom** **: Tis the season for our content, my bewitching Dom. Soon the moon will fade to a brilliant red and it will display my love for you with vibrant hues as fresh as the blood that still manages to pulse through my undead body with every gaze you grant me. Every simmering glare stirs my blood and forces my heart to beat anew. Please, please my Dom, lift your shining eyes to the red moon and know my love for you is as pure and unhindered as the night sky that holds it aloft.  
** **MehKitty** **: Hahahaha! Well come outta that closet and join the fun! Me and Dom are bout to start serving drinks, and if we can get enough liquor in Luv, I'm sure we can get her to take center stage with Dea and Stormie. XD It's gonna be GREAT!  
** **FlameDragonHime** **: Waiting? Meeeee? Psssh, you must be thinkin of some OTHER Lick. I'm great at giving you what you want. ...Scout's honor!  
** **Dea** **: Ban was crawling all over me throughout the making of this chappie. I swear he was checking to see if I was writing his namesake. :3 He gets jealous. I MISSED YOU DEA! *hugs crushingly and of course, licks and licks and licks trying to find the creamy center.*  
** **L-chan** **: I cannot say much to that... all I got is a yes and a yes and a yes with an added in: ME TOO! XD Luv ya gurlie! Beijinhos!  
** **PippElulu : I CAN!? *grins broadly with stars for eyes* Oh! And: HAHAHA! Yeeees! Elaine you dirty, dirty girl you! ROFL! *pets and licks and nibbles her PippElulu*  
** **WoundedOwl** **: ROFLING! Jeeeeze I don't know whether to apologize profusely or just keep laughing! Here I go: HAHAHAHAHAHA! Omg your reviews will never cease to make my day. Just please... PLEASE make sure you are sitting in a safely padded room for this one. Much safer to bang your head on the wall in one of those. *halo on head*  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: I truly think that's what makes him a great king. I'm all about less government. And Elaine, psssssh... she likes it! XD *waves Izzy flag* You can do it!** _ **He is at ure mercy!**_ **Have a wonderful night my Scarlet Beauty!  
** **MyLuv** **: One of these days I'm put a lovely little swing to your 'abandon ship' thing and make it so you will NEVER use that phrase again. Yes Luv, yes. It will be dirty. *mischievous glimmer in eyes* Be sure to thank Ban for me, the back up was much appreciated. ;D  
** **WolfyWhisper** **: There you are! Can't lie, it was feeling a lil cold, dark and lonely without cha! Perfect? Daaaaaaw! *grins bashfully* And yes, I have learned that clueless Arthur is super adorable, hehe, almost as cute as bewildered Izzy! Glad to have surprised u! *wink with a lick lick!*  
** **RounJian** **: I am truly glad that you can see the growth in her Roun! Lately when I've been writing her, I feel like I delving off her char and I have to pointedly remind myself that no, I have nurtured her into the char that she is. ^^;; It's a weird feeling, but I wanted to let you know that what you said really helped me out. Ty  
** **Stormie** **: *fans self* sounds like you need a good dose of Double LSD there Stormie-bae! You know they're around for all your smut need pleasures... *evil cackle*  
** **MuggleBlu** **: Izzy needs a** ** _lil_ more experience before the level up *wink wink at rpg humor* Experience that Meli is more than willing to give. *nudge nudge, lick *  
** **Raqualia** **: HAHAHAHA! Pudding wrestling, then snack!? THAT's AWESOME! ROFL!  
** **Clarirose** **: Oh there's more. Sooooo much more. Btw, you're the sassykitten account right? Or am I doing that horrible thing where my head explodes? So bad with names...  
** **LucyDragneel** **: The update is up and out. ^.^ Anything for lovers of Nalu. I'm gonna have fun with Nalu's field trip right after I post this. Enjoy!  
** **DGMsILVER** **: Hahaha! That has to be just what every writer doesn't know they want to hear until after they hear it. YAAS! The Lick is happie. :3  
** **IntangiblyMINE** **: Omg yaay! You make me so happy! Thank you so much for that! :D *lick lick***

* * *

Precious Privacy Pending

 _Bare feet touched the cold floor to support the weight of a demon wrestling with a heavy heart. Too long now had he done his father's bidding... well this was the last straw. He wasn't some hired thug, he was his son._

 _Even with demonic blood coursing through their veins, this was by no means a task any father should set his son to do. This was something no one should do—ever—even to an enemy. What was worse though, was that while he was doing it..._

 _He'd enjoyed it._

 _That frightened him more than anything else. There was no way that this was the person he wanted to be. Meliodas stood at the foot of a large bed in the middle of an immense room littered with many naked bodies. Yet his was the only one who still breathed. There would be nothing but unmarked corpses in the entire city. His power did not discriminate; his father had never been willing to teach him to funnel such destructive power. Lifting his arm with downcast eyes, a colorful bird resembling a toucan fluttered onto his arm from the only open window. "...Meliodas, I—"_

" _No need. I'm done. I can't do this anymore."  
_ I don't like killing people.

" _But how? How can you get away?"_

" _I don't want you to worry about any of that. Just get you and your mother somewhere safe and make sure you change forms.  
_ " _...Something they'll never suspect." The arm that held his long time confidant trembled. "I'm sorry you have to be involved in this."_

" _Just worry about things on your end, bub. We'll be alright."_

 _The bird began to flap his wings, but stopped when his partner said more. "And Wandle?"_

" _Yeah?"_

" _.. ..." Meliodas grit his teeth, "I... I'm scared. Should I ever return to my lecherous ways... stop me. I don't deserve pleasures of the flesh. Not that I ever did. I will never atone for this—but I will die trying."_

 _The Sin of Wrath was born not long after the mysterious end of the tribe that stood against his father. The Demon King was not one to willingly release something that belonged to him._

 _But the Demon Prince Meliodas would be his pawn no longer._

Meliodas' mind was filled with dark memories as he repaired the door Hawk had crashed into. The pig was sitting down watching him work and listing all the reasons it was improper for Meliodas to be showering while Elizabeth was in the room.

Tightening the final hinge for the door to swing correctly, the Sin captain thought to himself.  
 _I don't even want to think about what would have happened if King hadn't found me. I'd been a wandering wreck of a man, but he immediately knew who I was and redirected my purpose._

 _He pointed the way for my atonement._

Hawk was still talking from behind him as Meliodas opened and shut, opened and shut the door to check his handiwork.  
 _I'd tried to give what he gave me when I brought Ban into the Sins, but I don't think I did near as good of a job as he had._

"Damnit Meliodas! Are you listening?!"

The Dragon Sin looked over his shoulder at the pig with a slightly raised brow, "Oh, sorry Hawk. Guess I zoned out there for a little bit."

Hawk tilted his head, "That's not like you."

The blonde rested both his hands on his hips as he turned back to the door he'd just set back straight without a word, but his brows shot up when he heard Hawk say, "Guess falling in love distracts even the likes'a you huh, Meliodas?"

Finally turning his full attention to the piggy behind him, Meliodas squatted down to his level and lightly tapped his snout with one finger. "That obvious huh?"

Hawk snorted out a laugh, "Duh."

The knight adjusted himself to sit cross-legged in front of him, "So if you've already figured out that part, then I guess the only thing left to discuss is this lil promise a bird made me well over two millenia ago..."

The squeal Hawk made forced a chibi Meliodas to quickly plug his ears as the piggy yelled out, "NO WAY BUB! Not even for a year's worth of scraps!"

"Hmm..." Meliodas put a thoughtful finger to his chin while his eyes lingered on the ceiling. "How about two years?"

^.~

Ban found it curious that Elizabeth hurried downstairs to the sound of mishap going on upstairs. The master must have been pretty pissed at the captain to cause the princess to flee rather than investigate.  
 _Either that or... our newest lil Sin is too flustered to stop the master from disciplining the captain and his latest conquest._

Putting on his most cunning fox grin, Ban tilted his head and used his voice as a toy to tease, "Well lookit her highness dressing in multiple colors of the rainbow!" It was pretty entertaining for him to watch the princess blush like she'd just done something terribly naughty as she came down the stairs. The gaze she shifted to and fro caused him a healthy bout of mental chuckles.

"Why aren't you still at the castle cleaning up, Sir Ban?"

"Jeez, Princess, Don't tell me you're gonna be a stick in the mud about that too."

Diane pointed a finger at him from across the room, cheeks colored bright red from her recent consumption. "She's right cha-know. U're s'posed ta be kleeening up wif da udder chumps."

"Man, all of yall are gangin up on me huh?" Ban gave the giantess an uninterested look before sighing and laying his back flat on the table he'd been perched on, causing his head to hang over the edge. From upside-down the Fox Sin smirked at the princess yet again, "those buddies of yours are pretty experienced in picking up after themselves. Job got down pretty quickly."

Elizabeth folded her arms and raised one slender eyebrow at him, "Aral used his magic didn't he?"

Through teeth overloaded with a grin, Ban purred out, "Yea he did!"

King was floating near where Diane sat on the floor, slouching against the wall when he asked, "Elizabeth, are you done grieving? You're wearing one of the outfits I made you."

"Oh! Well... um... No not really." It was easy to tell that Elizabeth was conflicted but she held a fist to her chest in an effort to cling to her resolve. "But I must not seem like a grieving daughter now that Aral and Lara have come. I need to be the senior guild member who confiscated their bows." She looked about the room, her voice faltering a bit, "Umm, because... those two cannot act like this here in a foreign country. We need things to run smoothly so that King Arthur will remain an ally."

"HA!" Diane laughed much too loudly, "puh-leeeze, 'Lizabeth! Arthur is jest a big ole pussy cat! He's not gunna cast'ya away cuz sum-one else pulled a prank!" The Serpent Sin blushed brightly and suddenly laid a bashful hand to her cheek and said coyly, "but if u're really worried 'bout it, then you can always jest marry the guy. I'm sure he'd be down for that lil engagement!"

Elizabeth's eyes widened and turned bright red. Sure the king was handsome and kind but— _You're right, Izzy. I have been hunting you—_ she couldn't possibly marry him! Oh goddesses but Diane was right, it would certainly be a smart match.

For once Elizabeth could have blessed the Fox Sin for speaking up before she started to sputter something that very well could have sounded exceedingly foolish, "Oh come on, Diane." The brow he quirked at the giantess ever so slowly led blood colored eyes to gaze at the princess at he spoke, "you know our lil Siren Sin only has eyes for the capt. Don't be tryin to hook her up smart when we all know she's into the bad boys."

That gleam in his eye and the flash of teeth to the smirk he gifted Elizabeth with then was something else, and it did nothing to cure Elizabeth's blush.  
 _It's not possible that he knows how Sir Meliodas -ahem-_ helped _me in the bathroom just now... Do_ not _jump to conclusions, Elizabeth!_

" _Ooooo!_ " Diane purred out tauntingly, "guess all that groping finally turned Princess Elizabeth into a dirty girl!" She then reeled her head back into an all too inappropriate laugh, "no wonder you jumped head first into all that muck!"

King looked between a rather embarrassed but angering Elizabeth and the giantess belligerently laughing and lacking the skills for tact after all the alcohol she'd drank so quickly.

The elf was visibly fuming, and rather than blow up, she managed to simply harrumph and keep her feet from stomping as she stormed right out the Boar Hat.

Ban couldn't keep from grinning at the fact that at least he wasn't the one who'd pissed her off.  
 _I got enough chicks pissed at me._

The air was much more pleasant outside anyway. Elizabeth barely made it a step before Tay'moraad ambushed her with a loving nuzzle to her shoulder. A smile immediately flooded her face and she scooped up the beloved stag's head in a caress. "I know, I know, things have been a little crazy lately but I'm alright."

The beast lifted his head from her embrace prematurely at the sound of cloven hooves quickly approaching. From around the Boar Hat's neighboring building, sped two white clad sibling elves who seemed to have been racing atop their stags.

"Too bad, big brother! Once again my team wins." Lara said smugly she pranced her doe past him.

Aral frowned at her and patted his stag, "Don't let it getcha down, Tay'yaon. She cheats because she doesn't have all those handsome antlers to weigh her down."

Both the twins halted and immediately hushed when they noticed Elizabeth outside. It even felt like Tay'moraad was giving them a glare. Folding her arms, Elizabeth exhumed confidence, "What took the two of you so long? Sir Ban has been back for a while now."

"Oh! Umm..." Lara hesitated but then shot her brother a glare when he rode up and elbowed her roughly. He motioned her back to Elizabeth and she started again, "Well, we kinda had to er, collect our partners, ya know?"

"And they were playing with those horses so well too..." Aral patted his stag's neck sadly.

Elizabeth shook her head. There was just no end to these two! Withholding a sigh, she managed a small scowl with her hands firmly on her hips. "Explain to me why you are here when you should be training under Master Dreyfus?"

Lara beamed happily, practically bouncing on her doe. "We graduated!"

"Master named our bows and everything." Aral smirked.

"Shhhh!" Lara glared at him.

That one _did_ bring Elizabeth a sigh. It was a well known fact that she was the only archer in the entire archer's guild who did not have her bow named upon completion of apprenticeship. It had caused quite the uproar in the guild when her father forbid the naming of the bow he'd given her. He said she'd understand someday.  
 _He said that a lot though...  
_ Thus many archers fabricated their own speculations as to _why_ , and she didn't think she wanted to know what the twin's version of it was.

"Alright, so you're official archers then." Elizabeth began to rub her forehead in a silent prayer for patience. "Why are you not helping to bolster the queen's ranks?"

Lara chuckled nervously and let her brother explain with a sweatdrop adorning his brow. "Well... I kinda got the feeling she was a little sick of us, to be honest. So instead of sending a pigeon to respond to your letter—she sent us along with the Boar Sin."

The princess' ears perked up, "You have a message for me?"

Lara smiled proudly and pulled an envelope from only the goddesses know where, "I didn't even break the seal!"

Elizabeth's ear twitched, growing annoyed again. "So instead of _delivering it..._ you decided to play your little games at the castle instead...?"

Both sets of pointy ears twitched at the calm anger growing in their princess' voice and Lara replied meekly, "We, er, didn't know where to... find... you...?"

Deliberately slowly, the Siren Sin lifted a dark eye and a pale hand to the woman. A hand that was quickly filled with her sister's letter. Then Elizabeth rose her other slender arm and pointed to the Boar Hat's door. "Dishes. Now."

Aral dismounted and went inside, being sure to give the princess a wide birth—but Lara did not resign so gracefully. She openly groaned and melted off her mount with remorse. "But Izziieeeeeee!"

"Don't you Izzy me," Elizabeth snapped, "you will do dishes until they are all done, and then we shall see if I should dirty more for you. One does not dawdle when delivering a message from the queen!"

With a trudge and a whimper, Lara dragged her feet into the tavern. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and when they came down, her gaze fell to the doe and stag who'd partnered up with the twins. There was a hint of tease in the smile she grew as she folded her arms and said, "Tay'moraad? I trust you know how best to teach them not to tease Camelot's horses?"

Her stag nickered excitedly and lowered his crowned head, ushering the other two to accompany him. Elizabeth's smile grew more sincere as the three ran off into the city. Between those three and the shenanigans at the castle this morning... this kingdom was going to have much to talk about today. As she turned to go back inside, she jumped when she heard a citizen call out, "Ho there, elf!"

Looking over her shoulder, she replied tentatively, "Ye, yes...?"

"That pub of yours opening today?"

"Oh!" The princess peeped, "umm..."

Unbeknownst to her, the window upstairs opened and a welcome and handsome voice piped up, "Sure is! The Boar Hat is open for business tonight!"

Elizabeth looked up with a flush at the Dragon Sin giving more than just the man asking a thumb's up in a sudden eruption of cheers.  
 _The people really love him, don't they..._ She nibbled her lip fondly, recalling with giddiness the way it had felt pressed against his. _They'd be crazy not to._

^.~

The sun was barely creeping below the horizon when Ban was already considering sneaking out of his cooking duties. His story was that he was stepping out back for a bit of fresh air, but he was really just wanting a break from the elf girl that talked too damn much. How was a man supposed to make decent cuisine with that incessant voice prattling on in his head?

The concept of playing hookie was becoming more and more attractive the more he thought about it, and when his grin confirmed his decision, in teleports a mage to ruin all his fun.

And Merlin did not look pleased. "You were at the castle today, Ban. You saw Arthur. Explain to me why the sword is still not in his hands."

"Damn." Ban leaned back against the brick wall, propping a foot onto it casually, "everybody's pickin on me today." A grin formed as his eyes lowered to her frown from his reclined head, "things got a little too hot to handle when I saw that you left that nasty toy of the capt's with my lamb chop. Shouldn't you know that thing can be dangerous?"

"Shouldn't you know how dangerous I can be if you keep stalling?" The mage's voice was formidable.

"Well yea—kinda comes with being one of the Seven Deadly Sins."

"Exactly what do you think you're waiting on, Ban?"

 _Fuckin women, man. I'll take the elf inside I guess..._ "Just waitin for the opportune moment is all." The Sin of Greed turned around and headed back into the kitchen. He stopped and glanced at her once more before shutting the door behind him, "you know, that thing that you do all the time?"

^.~

Life as a waitress at the Boar Hat had never been so simple. Granted they had not had much of a chance to open in a while, but Elizabeth found delegating Aral and Lara around much more enjoyable than tripping and stumbling in her own attempt to serve the patrons. She simply sat on the bar counter dangling her legs, making sure that neither archer under her command had more than a moment to spare before being put to task again. The prim posture she sat with grew stiff when she heard the bar tender speak to her with such a light-hearted tone.

"Betcha we lost a good half of the incoming crowd when they saw that the newest Sin was just sitting around like King instead of being the world's sexiest waitress."

From the corner of her eye Elizabeth could tell that the Sin captain had had his eye on her, but he hadn't said much. No, Meliodas had been taking far too much joy from watching her boss the other two elves around to even dream of interrupting.

That same voice echoed something different in her head that forced a blush to impede her pale skin again, _I have been hunting you._ Pressing her lips together, the princess made the poor decision to act as though she hadn't heard him.

The Dragon Sin was not so easily ignored. He set the mug he was drying to the side and stepped up behind her, grabbing two handfuls of luscious elven bosom. Even over her gasp she heard him say in her ear, "Are ya listening, Elizabeth? Ignoring people is a bad habit, ya know."

"Ahhh Sir, Sir Meliodas! Please! We, we, we—"

He squeezed her, "We're in public?" Another squeeze, "not alone?" Followed by a refreshing double squeeze, "wait til later, hmm?" The demon smiled, removed his hands, and swung his legs over to the other side of the bar where he could see that beautiful red face of hers. Slipping his hands in his pockets, he winked at her with that antagonizing innocent smile, "no problem! Don't forget!"

Elizabeth watched him casually walk to Lara with a nervous twitch possessing her ear. Meliodas bore an altogether different smile and switched the woman's empty pitcher for a full one. Without realizing what she was doing, her eyes began to swim all over the Sin captain. Starting with that carefree smile down his surprisingly smooth neck and strong back, only to trail further to admire a firm waist and powerful legs. The princess was forced to cross her legs tightly as she tapped a fingernail on the counter and began sucking half of her lower lip.

When he turned to look back at her, Elizabeth's eyes widened and immediately snapped her head to the side in an obvious attempt to make it seem that she hadn't been staring at him. Meliodas chuckled and glanced at Ban when he poked his head out of the kitchen, spying the elven princess not doing anything. "Oy Princess! Wouldja get off your ass and gimmie some more meat from the cold storage already?"

Elizabeth stammered out, "Oh! Yes of course, Sir Ban!" Quickly pushing off the counter, she sprinted around the counter and into the walk-in. She couldn't stand how dark this tiny room would get, so she purposely left the door open as far as it would stay but the pesky thing always insisted on shutting at least halfway. Looking about quickly so less cold would escape, she located a bag of prepped meat on the top shelf. The silverette frowned, thinking that Sir Ban must have put it up so high on purpose. No one could cook it if no one could reach it. Feeling determined, Elizabeth leaned up and stretched her arm up as high as it would go—so close!

Fear, followed by a feeling of vertigo then struck her one after another. Fear from a sudden fuzziness that slipped between her unsuspecting bare legs; vertigo from being lifted up so quickly after. Elizabeth's hands grabbed hold of this foreign object to find a head full of Meliodas hair. The demon had slipped between her legs and now she sat on his shoulders! Hands that were becoming cold very quickly were sliding up her bare thighs to cling to her rear and back down again as he casually said, "Thought cha might need some help. Ban always likes to keep the good stuff up top."

The princess blushed at the way Meliodas was taking full advantage of the situation before shaking her head and murmuring a thank you. Then she wasted no time in reaching for the bag. As she pulled it from its roost, she yelped as the door suddenly closed behind them. Being in such a small space and now entirely basked in darkness had her dropping her parcel and waving around nervously.

Meliodas took a step back from the unexpected movements and tried to let her down, but the now intensely skittish elf caused them both to tumble to the floor. Elizabeth cringed on top of him and the Sin captain brought both his knees up to hold her hips steady. It almost felt like a hug until it actually became one when the blonde wrapped both his hands around her and pulled her head right under his chin. His voice was full of warmth with a side of humor as he cooed out, "I gotcha, Izzy. Don't be scared."

That voice brought a new sort of shiver to her as it filled nearly all her senses. With vision robbed from her, if felt like she could feel his motions and hear every sound he made tenfold. A sensation that was amplified by demonic hands becoming busy. Elizabeth couldn't help gripping his hair tighter and moaning heatedly as one of his began cupping her breast as the other slid over her bottom to stroke right at her femininity slowly as he hummed contently. "Mmmm, this is much better than a blindfold, don'tcha think?"

Surely he'd done this on purpose. Elizabeth buried a cold nose into his neck and muffled another groan, she'd never been petted down there at all, let alone like this and it was affecting her grip on reality. Had she not changed into her uniform she might not be in this predicament, but the more his fingers tickled her, the more she found herself unwilling to escape. She could feel her own hot breath spreading across his neck and chest as her hands fisted into his hair and wriggled her hips against him involuntarily.

Meliodas' chest vibrated her every nerve with a growl that ended with adept fingers sliding under the thin panties she wore. Her back spasmed into a tight arch when she felt a chill fingertip graze past a part of her that was far more sensitive than she ever thought it'd be. "Ahhh! Meliodaaaas!"

"Hmm?" The demon hummed sensually, "Perhaps like this then?" The hand rubbing at her breast abruptly squeezed and twisted slightly as a finger slipped inside her.

Elizabeth felt feverish! A part of her knew she was in the cold storage room, but it didn't make a wit of difference. She was completely on top of him and breathing in his scent, but somehow she still wanted more, demanded more. Her lips pressed together, hushing another groan into nothing more than the pronunciation of an M as her mind's eye watched his hand leave her breast to press firmly on her back to mesh them together even more. This action also pushed her face from his neck so that their cheeks lay flushed together. Her hands were growing weak and lowered from his scalp to the floor as her hips rocked against what was now two fingers gently probing her.

With her ear so close to his lips, Meliodas was happy to explain his actions. With a purr directly in such an exquisitely pointy ear, "I told you that you'd be punished for biting on that lip, Izzy." He parted his fingers inside of her and twirled them ever so slightly before bringing them back together and sliding them out. Elizabeth moaned, feeling the strangest sense of regret at their departure. Surely the demon had just bewitched her... and it had been marvelous. Why had he stopped?

"Pun, punishment...?" She breathed into his ear, eliciting a pleasured sigh from the Sin below her. In the darkness, the hand against her back slowly edged to her shoulder and down her arm to lace his fingers with hers.

"Mmmhmm."

Meliodas smiled at the adorable "Eep!" Elizabeth squealed when the door cracked open, setting loose a blinding streak of light into the room. Elizabeth's lustful glaze turned full blush as she lifted her head to see what was happening. It swung open just enough to reveal the Fox Sin standing there, looking down at them with a smirk that increased to a full-on grin.

"Damn Capt. It's almost closing time, just chill out. Some of us are wanting to get our dinner started."

Ban quirked a brow at the chilled bag of duck meat there on the floor next to the pair, "Hurry up with that, wouldja?" He then turned away and Elizabeth quickly snatched the bag from the floor and caught the door before it could completely close again.

Elizabeth paused when she noticed that even though she'd ejected herself from the Dragon Sin, she still felt incredibly hot... and all she wanted was to curl back into his arms. Exactly when had she started loving those hands of his?  
She eagerly lied to herself. _Today. It must have began today..._

As her cheeks continued their well deserved flush, the princess wondered if she'd be able to start breathing properly anytime soon while her hesitation brought Meliodas a chuckle. Looking back over to him only rendered her even more incapable of breathing even though he simply stood there doing nothing. That is... until he spoke.

"Didja hear that, Izzy?" He smiled darkly and brought the two fingers she'd inexplicably become very fond of to his mouth, slowly sucking them clean—which successfully caused her heart to race faster still. "It's almost closing time."

* * *

 **I think we'll stop there for now... it feels kinda hot in here. Lick needs to cool off. o.o**

* * *

Hawk: *in kitchen and jumps nervously when Ban steps in with the duck meat* Eek! It's not closing time already!

Ban: *cocks a brow, ripping the bag open and dumping contents in a hot skillet* Yup, sure is, Master. Time waits for no man it seems. *grins to himself, ever the one to laugh at shit that isn't really all that funny* Even if he's the master.

Hawk: But, but, butbutbut... *dancing on frantic hooves*

Ban: What's the deal with you? *looks back at him from over shoulder, stirring deliciousness*

Hawk: Can't we stay open for at least a liiiitle while longer? Lookit all those customers! Maybe we should give'em another round!

Ban: No can do, Master. I had the pointy ears make last calls already.

Hawk: But do ya think everyone ate?

Ban: *sighs* As the soul cook of this joint, my vote would be yes. They ALL ate.

Hawk: *hangs head in defeat and whimpers*

Ban: *turns around to wipe his hands on a towel and tilts his head at the miserable pig* Don't go dyin on us. Capt loves his pork. What the hell is it, Master?

Hawk: *reels head up with tears streaming this way and that* I'm nuthin but a no good sell out!  
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! ㈷7

Ban: *shakes his head at the crazy pig in complete befuddlement* And here I thought I was the guy who was supposed to know the script...

* * *

 **Only for you  
** **Seriphia  
** **㈏2aka㈏2  
** **Lick**


	30. Wrathful Seduction

**Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **PippElulu** **: Me? Drama? Naaaah, good times! That's what Lick does! *glances about* Good times, and not judgment. Hehehe  
** **BettyDearest** **: Hawk? Interfere? Oh come come now my dearest! Why would he EVER do something crazy like that... *can't keep a straight face* Thank you as always BettyLuv. :) Sorry for the wait!  
** **MalevolentMagician** **: Indeed, Ban is wondering that right about now too... *le sigh* poor guy.  
** **MaekoChan** **: Thank you! The wait is FINALLY over, my deepest apologies for it taking so damn long.  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: Not sweet, maybe a lil salty tho. Yep, Hawk IS Wandle, taking my own hypothesis from canon and rollin with it. ;D Have a wonderful night babe!  
** **MehKitty** **: YAY! *lick lick!* The wait is over!  
** **FlameDragonHime** **: hehe, interesting huh? I admire your choice of words. Many licks!  
** **Stormie** **: Short and sweet Stormie~bae... request received. Let's get that BLAINE!  
** **LucyDragneel** **: Such words of praise from my Lulu! Yaaaaaas! I hope you enjoy this chappie!  
** **InuKailani** **: ROFL! OMG, the southern belle accent... Ahaha... can't breathe, you've taken my breath away *dies*  
** **DGMsILVER** **: Oh I LOVE how much Meli loves 'Regal Izzy,' it's definitely one of my personal favorite Melizabeth interactions!  
** **MuggleBlu** **: Not so soon, but, I update I update! Can I have a cookie now? Pleeeeeeze?  
** **MyLuv** **: Okokok... My Luv... -ahem- ABANDON SHIP! RUN WHILE YOU STILL CAN! RUN RUN RUN RUN!  
** **Dea** **: *lick lick lick lick* Ban is hiding his disappointment well... Oh, and OH! Whaddya mean it's FINALLY getting to the good stuff, HUH?! The whole story has been good DAMNIT! Quick, lick my salty tears before they fall to the floor! (luv you!)  
** **SassyKitty** **: *places xtra large fan in front of you* Don't forget to breath! Breathing is good, breathing is life. *lick*  
** **IntangiblyMINE : I think I already told you, I can't remember. Yes! Use the Izzy, tis a great name for 'Lizabeth! ^.^ *licks da face lovingly*  
** **Yojimbo** **: YES! You love it! Yes yes yes yes yes! WOOT! *dying, having never thought of that as a compliment b4* Luv it!  
** **L-chan** **: Oh, Ban looooves to show up unannounced...  
** **Dom : *tries to look intimidated but cannot contain all the anticipation that has built up inside* ****Ummm, yea, still recovering from all the attentions I have received from you VERY recently. So much more than I'd ever dreamed. Mmmmmmmm... My Dom. _Mine._**

 **As always, thank you for your love and support, I would have never made it this far without it. Many licks and even more love your way!**

* * *

Wrathful Seduction

With everyone sitting together for the dinner Ban prepared, all present were witness the rather curious sight of Meliodas scraping half his meal into Hawk's dish. And to make it even more strange—the piggy dragged his feet sadly all the way to the food the Sin captain so generously shared with him. All eyes blinked in unison at the odd sight of their captain's charity; well, all except for the Guinevere twins, who didn't know better to realize something was amiss. Those two were tossing small pieces of meat at each other. One point if they hit on the nose, three points if they made it in their sibling's mouth. Needless to say, it was likely that Lara was loosing by bopping her brother's nose so many times on purpose.

When Meliodas sat down with only half his portion, he looked around at the faces quietly contemplating his actions. With a few blinks of his own, he asked, "What?"

Diane motioned to his plate with a fork loaded with her next bite, "Not hungry, Captain? You're plate's half empty."

"Hmm," Meliodas thought with a content hum, "Looks more like half full to me."

"Ha!" Ban laughed between bites, "ya think Capt finally gets that the master is the master?!"

"Hey this is great, Ban!" Meliodas cheerfully spoke over him after taking a generous bite.

Once Elizabeth was about halfway done with her dinner, everyone began announcing their plans. Before she knew it, Ban was talking about all the things he wanted to fix that Meliodas hadn't built correctly on his ship (trying to get a rise out of Meliodas not withstanding), King was going to have a long talk with Arthur and Merlin tonight, and Diane declared that she would be joining them.

Then Gowther began listing all the reasons it would be most logical that the twins join him to stand guard at the drow elves' new home.

"Wait..." Aral spoke up, "Queen Veronica's letter said that—"

"SHHHH!" His sister quickly cut him off.

Elizabeth's ears perked up, "What do you mean...?" Her eyes narrowed the longer she stared at Lara's wilting posture. Much to the Dragon Sin's bemusement, she growled, "You _said_ you didn't break the seal!"

"We, we, we didn't!"

"Yet you know of its contents?!" Elizabeth rose to her feet and leaned toward them with palms flat on the table.

"...Yes..." both of them confessed with lowered heads.

The princess lowered herself back to her chair and took great efforts to keep from massaging her temples. These two had been far better company before she had to be the sole archer in charge of them. With a level headed gaze, she turned a raised chin to Gowther. "Sir Gowther, you may use their assistance in watching our new allies, please bear in mind, however, that they will _not_ be earning their bows back this night."

Lara banged her head on the table with a stifled groan.

The Fox Sin couldn't resist, "A night with the Goat Sin? Tough break you guys. Heh, way to stick it to'em, Siren."

Meliodas just took a swig of his ale, keeping all those thoughts of his to himself behind the mask of a man innocently enjoying a well cooked evening meal.

Before the silverette knew it, Sins were leaving the Boar Hat. She was walking Diane (who'd donned a lovely evening dress that reminded Elizabeth of a fading sunrise) out the door listening to her bubbly personality boil over from her excitement at being a member of a private meeting with not one, but two kings. Elizabeth was wringing her fingers, trying very hard to focus on what her friend was saying, but her mind kept being drawn back to the look Ban had given her before he'd taken his leave. Honestly! All he'd seen was that she'd fallen on top of the captain.

With their faces more than close...

...and holding her hand.

Shivers were running up her spine all over again when Diane lifted a brow, "Did you hear me, Elizabeth?"

"Oh!" Elizabeth smiled back nervously, "of course, Lady Diane! I am sure both kings will appreciate a new light on whatever they feel they must discuss."

King soon drifted through the doorway into the night air to join them with his pillow tucked under his arm. Through eyes that were immediately drawn to Diane, up and down, King was proud that he still managed to ask, "You are more than welcome to join us as well, Elizabeth."

Twirling a small bit of hair with her finger, Diane blushed at the way King would not peel his eyes from her; it made Elizabeth astutely aware that going with them would make her a third wheel no matter how sincere Harlequin had asked. She was about to politely decline when the sound of prancing piggy hooves had her ear twitching curiously. It brightened her heart to see Hawk so suddenly happy again and Elizabeth turned to him coming their way with a smile. "Sir Hawk!"

"Hiya Elizabeth!" Hawk practically bounced out to the others, "don't you worry about a thing! Everything's aaaaaaall taken care of!"

The princess pondered what he could mean as King finally looked away from the shrunken giantess and smiled down at the ham, "Are you ready to go now?"

"Yup! We're set to go!"

"You're... you're going too? ...Sir Hawk?" Elizabeth tilted her head, feeling conflicted.

"Course I am!" The pig snorted out a laugh, "these guys don't have a chance at a good meeting without me! We're talkin about the seals here, they're gonna need me!"

Later, she would contemplate why a human king and the fairy king were meeting yet again to discuss the seals with such a motley crew, but right at that moment—the realization that she would be completely on her own with the captain tonight was being absorbed and registered deeply within every crevice of her mind. The fluttering of her heart was dizzying.

"Have a good night, Elizabeth!" Diane sung out, breaking Elizabeth's current line of thought. The elven archer lifted her gaze to see the three of them heading down the street that would eventually lead them to the castle, Diane walking backwards and waving.

What could she do? Elizabeth smiled back, displaying far more normality than she felt and stretched her arm out as far as it could go in a wave that was as melodramatic as the Serpent Sin's.

Once her comrades breached the corner, Elizabeth lowered her arm and clasped her hands together in front of her, nibbling her lip nervously. Meliodas had claimed that she'd received 'punishment' for biting that lip, but it was hers—she could bite it if she wanted.

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she chastised herself. Recalling the sublime torture such punishment wrought was not what she needed to be doing right at that moment.  
 _Get it together, Elizabeth!_

Hawk had said that Meliodas had been taken care of? What did that mean? Suddenly worried for her captain, the princess darted back inside the vacant bar. Of course it was empty... Hawk had been speaking with Meliodas upstairs. Being downstairs all alone did leave her with an eerie feeling however, so she lined the bolt for the front door. They were closed, no reason not to lock up.

Her sisters always told her that her curiosity would be the end of her, but there was no reason for her not to check on whatever Hawk had said he'd done. Meliodas had given him half his meal—the piggy had no reason to do anything horrible to him.

She must investigate.  
...For the good of the kingdom!

Graceful legs carried her upstairs to creak the door open, "Sir Meliodas?"

"Hiya Elizabeth!" His cheerful voice rang out through the room like a warm embrace and instantly put her heart at ease. She entered, then raised an eyebrow at the sight of Meliodas laying on the bed with what appeared to be double the rope tied around him.

The Sin captain saw the question in her eyes and smiled, "I told him I wasn't ready to sleep yet, but he wouldn't take no for an answer."

The sight was quite funny and Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh, "So you are to stay there even though the night is still young?"

"...Guess so." Meliodas watched the ceiling with a half smile, "it's my bad, really, leaving me untied was never part of the deal."

"What deal?"

"Oh, nothing..." the blonde's eyes fell back on her with his half smile turning half grin. "You heading to bed?"

This arched Elizabeth's brow in such a way that teased the knight greatly, such an elusive brow could only mean tantalizing conversations in the near future. Her voice was the embodiment of a smile, perhaps mimicking the tone he so often took as she said, "No, Captain. As I said, the night is young and I am still thinking of sleeping under the stars."

Elizabeth pulled a pale purple version of her new archer attire and admired the dark green scroll work forming a pattern on the leather before heading to the bathroom to change. She had no interest in staying in her waitress uniform. As she changed, she heard his voice through the door asking, "So can I get untied? Not a lotta fun here by myself."

Her laughter sounded loud trapped in the bathroom, "Give me a moment, Sir Meliodas, I'll help you get loose."

"That's great! Don't worry 'bout it though."

 _What an odd thing to say...  
_ Elizabeth opened the door as soon as she finished changing and froze when she saw Meliodas standing up by the far edge bed, coiling the rope with the use of his forearm with that same smile. Had he been able to untie himself all this time?  
 _Sir Hawk ties a good knot... How did he...?  
_ _All along—Sir Meliodas has been able to free himself all along...?_

Goddesses but she was beautiful when she was surprised like that. The Sin watched her with a light smile as he kept twining the rope back up. No reason to let the thing get tangled. He enjoyed her eyes being on him for longer than he thought he'd get too when she finally spoke again, trying to accept her surprise with grace. Suspense tingled the hairs on the back of his neck when it sounded like she was going to try to act regal again.

"So..." Elizabeth cleared her throat, praying that her voice would not abandon her. "What will you be doing with your new found freedom this evening?"

"Hunting." S _uch a perfect question deserves nothing but a full and truthful answer._

The flood of stimulating emotions that began coursing through Elizabeth all at once was invigorating. So much so that she took pride in the fact that she was able to maintain the steadiness in her voice, "Are we low on food, Sir Dragon...?"

"Nope." Meliodas' eyes leveled on her, having finished looping the rope. The weight of it made a large thump when he discarded it at his feet.

There they stood, with nothing but the Sin captain's bed between them. In a perfect romance novel, this would be an ideal time for two lovers to proclaim their undying love for one another and share the warmest of embraces, pledging to be by each others' side for what remained of eternity. Such a sacred partnership would be a bond held in even higher esteem than that of even a marriage between gods.

However, this tale is far from perfect.

Under her captain's penetrating gaze, Elizabeth began making tiny sidesteps toward the window. Her eyes flickered to her bow, sitting in the corner of the room closer to him and silently acknowledged that she must leave it behind. Leaving without her bow was never done, yet this night, the princess found that she did not mind much.

Meliodas watched her in good spirits as she edged toward the window. She really was going to run from him.  
 _Hope she knows it won't work._

Was he being presumptuous in his belief that the twinkle in her eye demanded that he follow her? The Dragon Sin could taste her already and felt a need to feel her soft skin again. All sorts of zealous thoughts began surging through him; the things he needed to do to show this elfkin how much he needed her, how much he loved her.

All of which quickly manifested into pure, lecherous desire when his princess smiled against the open window, "Good luck hunting in the dark, Captain," and fled from the room with a graceful back flip.

It took nearly all of the millenia he'd spent training his restraint to keep from scooping her up then and there as he slowly walked to the window.  
 _I love it when she calls me captain._

^.~

Elizabeth flattened herself against the castle wall, waiting for the guard to pass by. There was something exhilarating about her plot to sneak out of the city. Even in her centuries at home, she'd never made it out of the city—she'd never wanted to. Here there were no trees though, and if the princess was going to make some sport for her knight... she needed trees.

As soon as the guard walked by atop the castle wall, the elf backed away and made a run at the wall, incorporating all her dexterity to zig-zag from one parapet to another to reach the top only to leap on the walkway soundlessly landing by one hand to flip back down to the ground on the other side maneuvering in a stunning cartwheel. Elizabeth landed in a roll before bounding up and ending in a squat. Huffing slightly, she looked back up at the wall to see that the soldier had never even glanced behind him. A smile graced her lips, not too shabby for a member of the Seven Deadly Sins.

The land surrounding the castle was grassland similar to the lake of Avalon, but upstream of that lake, Elizabeth had always caught hints of the familiar scent of cedar—so that's where she headed. She needed trees.

^.~

Meliodas walked right out the front doors of the Boar Hat, whistling casually to himself. Feeling eyes on him, he glanced to his left to see Tay'moraad watching him. The stag looked ethereal under tonight's full moon. The knight gave him a half smile and raised his hand in greeting, "Hiya Tay'moraad. I'm just gonna run and collect your elf. Be back soon—promise."

For not having brows, the stag did a pretty good job looking at him like he had one raised. Meliodas simply slipped his hand back in his pocket and continued on right out of Camelot's gates. What a great kingdom, not to have to close its gates at night. The city's open gate policy was quickly becoming world renown. Such thoughts barely skidded by Meliodas as he was thinking how surprising it was that his prey would go so far as to leave the city. He wondered where his elven princess was taking him as he followed the wall around and then eastbound.

 _It woulda been nice to catch her on a rooftop with this full moon out. I've never tried being romantic before, but I think I could pull it off. At least on a rooftop._

He couldn't wait to see where the princess was leading him. There was no logical reason that he knew where she was headed. No smells, no magical aura... he just knew. Somehow they were already connected; perhaps Elizabeth had not embraced it yet, but he certainly had—and was headed right for her. He enjoyed playing with her far too much not to.

^.~

Bounding from tree to tree was truly Elizabeth's element. The moon shone on the bark of every branch she swung and looped around as she laughed at how wonderful it felt to be back in such a welcoming embrace that only a forest could provide. Hair kissed by the moon's glow cascaded down her body as she landed on the thick branch of a mighty oak in a crouch. She felt light as air without the usual weight of bow and quiver and had taken full advantage of the added freedom. Slowly, she stood up and scanned the area behind her.

Nothing.

Only the song the forest sang from the wind embracing every leaf.  
 _How far have I traveled? Surely more than two miles.  
_ She did not notice how her ear twitched and breath hitched at the sudden thought that her knight might not come. She'd left the city to seek refuge in a forest—and it had never occurred to her that he may not be able to find her. Shivers from an unwelcome chill ran through her as she realized that she may have misunderstood him. Was she not going to see him again tonight? Elizabeth eyed every shadow as she recalled dark jade eyes that pledged to search her out. Had she misunderstood him?  
 _What if he's not coming...?_

Multicolored eyes misted over at just the thought of it. Elizabeth shook her head, no. She would not let her mind travel down the path of doubt. Somehow... Sir Meliodas had become both the moon and sun, and like the sun and moon—he would come. A smile caressed elven lips glossed over from the moon's silver rays as she thought, _And I will make sure he knows how elusive an elf's heart can be... and how he has captured mine._

^.~

 _A forest!_

Of course a woodland elf would hide from a hunter in the woods. _Of course_ she left the city to seek out woodlands. It was so simple that it had Meliodas chuckling to himself as he walked between trees, shuffling foliage with his feet.

Only problem was... this forest was infested with brownies. Nasty little devils with a habit for stabbing at nice guys with pointy objects. Also, there was something around here that did _not_ give off a pleasant aura. He needed to get Elizabeth out of here.  
 _But she looks so damn sexy under a moon like this._

The blonde knight enjoyed reminiscing watching her in the lake of Avalon. She had been the embodiment of a goddess.

 _Tay'daishar._

He would never deserve a mate such as her... but the desire of a demon left in wanting could be sated no more with this not-so-platonic love. Meliodas stalked her, keeping his hunger in check. His lust would not best him. He loved her and he was going to keep her.

The sound of a lone pan flute halted his steps, his heart, and everything in between. Only his mind raced as he pinpointed Elizabeth as the player. She was not hiding at all...

All it took was walking past a few more trees to see the land spread out into a river. There, on a low branch that hung over the water, sat his prize. The demon became filled with pride, appreciating her beauty, talent, and bravery. Never had he chased a woman before—he'd never wanted to. This princess, however, he'd chase for an eternity simply for the hope that he might catch her someday.

 _Goddesses let that day be today..._

A big part of him wanted to sit down by the riverbed and simply indulge himself in the alluring melody she played.

However the biggest part of him needed her in his arms—yesterday.

A few leaps landed him on a branch directly above his own personal goddess, yet again being sure that even with ears like hers that she was none the wiser. Meliodas loved fooling elven ears, it had quickly turned into one of his favorite ways to play with her. Nothing could beat a handful of Izzy breast or rear, but those ears of hers held good times for him too. It was almost a shame to hear such lovely music stop, but frankly, he was getting a little jealous of that flute. He descended onto the same branch as her, landing so that he could wrap his arms snugly around her waist from behind and securing her seating (safety first) by placing his legs next to both of hers. Meliodas felt her shiver and he instinctively held her tighter as he tilted his chin up to whisper in her ear, "Gotcha."

He watched her place the instrument back into her belt's built-in pouch with slightly trembling hands. Then his eyes widened as a soft hand laid itself on his far cheek while lips that he desired absolutely anywhere on his body plant themselves right on his temple in a lingering kiss. It had surprised him just as much as when she'd spun him around in the shower and his hands immediately crossed in front of her to latch onto her breasts. Elizabeth squealed out in surprise and before he knew it, somehow she'd slipped right out of his arms. Meliodas looked down between his legs curiously. It had looked like she'd fallen, but there had been no splash. The blonde stood up and scratched his head, "Hmm, still slippery, huh?"

A soft but merry laughter came as the elf made a rather bold statement, "If I am, then it is surely your fault!" The giggle from behind him was more than titillating and he swiftly turned his head to see her on another branch a bit higher. Even in the shadows she could capture beauty that surpassed even a maiden born of the Celestial realm.

With thoughtful finger on his lips, Meliodas looked up and replied, "Nah, I made sure you were good and rinsed off." He lowered his eyes back to her (now with a lovely blush) with a dark smile as he turned fully to face her. "Last thing I want is you slipping from my grasp." The Dragon Sin was feeling more than hungry now and knelt down and jumped to her branch again. He reached out for her, but she squealed and performed an enticing back flip before swinging onto yet another higher branch. Her body moved so fluidly that the knight nearly gaped. With a longing look at the now empty space that his princess had just occupied, Meliodas looked up at her and folded his arms. He shook his head and sighed, "Oh Izzy... how many times do I gotta warn ya? Don't poke the bear."

The glint in this elf's eyes displayed her challenge better than any verbal response as she raised both arms onto another overhanging branch and swung her legs up, bounding ever higher into the canopy.

 _Yup. I need to get her back to the bedroom._ The thought wasn't from the constant nagging of a dark aura from deeper in the forest, but from his desire to keep her from running away. The demon cupped his hands and called out, "This is gonna bring on some more punishment, Elizabeth!"

He smiled to himself as he started leaping up to bridge the gap between them when he heard her say, "All the more reason not to be caught, Captain."

Meliodas had lived thousands of years waiting for just a woman as this—only to have her taunt and tease him? Had she forgotten that he was known as the Demon Lord Meliodas? More than one devilish form of punishment lovers could share danced about his mind as he heard petite feet slinking by just a few branches above him. With a sly grin, the knight jumped straight up, swooped her into his arms bridal style and immediately began racing out of the forest.

To the untrained eye, it would have appeared as though he was constantly phasing in and out. It was all too possible that this may have been the fastest he'd ever run.

A quick scan for power levels ensured Meliodas that the Boar Hat was still blissfully empty as he returned her right back through the window she'd so foolishly sought her escape. Meliodas dumped his prize onto his bed and promptly crawled over her, straddling the elf wrecked with delirious laughter. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she breathed out, "I had no idea you could move that fast, Sir Meliodas!"

Discarding his tie, Meliodas leaned over her until his nose touched hers as he drawled, "I swear to you, that is the only time you will be able to say that, Izzy."

The lower octave of his voice only enhanced the way he was so intimately close. The princess blushed and moaned at the same time when her captain forcibly pressed his lips into hers. She could feel his strong fingers slowly massage their way from her shoulders to her wrists, bringing them over her head as he did so. Elizabeth was far more focused on the way his tongue caressed hers, though. The way he invaded her mouth was just as overwhelming as the kiss that had had her daydreaming nearly all the next day.

So the princess whimpered when he pulled up from her so suddenly and moved to pull him back down, but was astonished to discover that her hands would not move. Her wrists were latched together and tied to the bed's headboard! The blonde Sin patiently watched her notice what he'd done and smiled innocently when her eyes met his again, "Sir, Sir Meliodas?!"

"What's up, Izzy?" Meliodas grew from smile to smirk as he began unbuttoning his shirt. "Just makin sure the spoils of my hunt doesn't slip away again."

Elizabeth couldn't help it, she was blushing furiously. The woman was probably redefining the meaning of red as her knight's muscular arm tossed his shirt carelessly across the room. The Sin captain lowered back onto her again and whispered sensually directly into her delightfully long ear, "If you get scared, just say 'lollipop'." A smile curled on his lips as they grazed over the trembling ear, "but if you want me to get on with it... all you have to do is lemme know how crazy you are about me."

"Crazy...?" The Siren Sin had lost her voice again and it was a pity too, for just mere moments ago she had known exactly what her feelings for this man were and in what way she had wanted to share it. Between that kiss and now being bound to the bed though... the Siren Sin's silver tongue had abandoned her.

As intimidated as she was, however, she was making no move to stop him, so Meliodas blew in her ear before he sat back up. She looked so beautiful all flustered like that, checking the sturdiness of his knot. He hummed happily, wondering where he should start. This little elf had had his engine running for far too long and now here she was, ripe for the plucking. Cupping his chin, the captain thought out loud, "Punishment for lovers is the best kind."

Round eyes turned to focus on his and Elizabeth breathed, "Punishment? Mm, more punishment?"

"Yup." _She's got lotsa these kinda clothes right? She can stand to loose just one of them, right?_ "Running from your knight," his fingers trailed up her torso as he moved to his hands and knees, using one hand to loop into the middle of her top and ripping it open discreetly. "Abandoning your captain," he left the leather top covering her breasts for now as he leaned back over her to whisper into her other ear. "and teasing your lover." The demon hovering over her nibbled the tender skin just above her earlobe before tickling the back of said lobe with his tongue at the same moment his hand could refrain no more and slipped under the loosened top to massage one of the two elven breasts beckoning him.

Elizabeth hissed and arched her back into his chest with flushed skin and a heated heart as Meliodas sighed, more happy than he'd ever been in his life. He'd been concerned that she'd say her safety word before he'd even get to start. He whispered one more thing before he forcefully pressed her back down onto his bed, their bed. "You've racked up a pretty big tab, Izzy." The silverette whimpered as his bosom wielding hand kept her pinned on the mattress as he scraped his teeth down her neck to trail a warm tongue over her collar bone.

He may be describing his actions as punishment, but in all actuality, the Demon Lord Meliodas was worshiping this princess. Taking his time to appreciate every tantalizing dip in her skin and every titillating curve. The fact that he knew he would never be worthy of her had him place his own drive on hold so that he could ensure that he brought her to ecstasy and beyond. As his tongue slipped southern, the blonde could feel her heart racing. When he reached the beginning of her generous cleavage, he opened his mouth wider to suck in a portion of skin that looked far too creamy not to taste.

"Aaaahh! Meliodaaaas!"

The princess was trying to arch her back again but his hand held her firm. If only that hand could stay there for an eternity, forever bringing this elf those beautiful flushed cheeks. Her chest was heaving already and he wondered humorously if she might be at risk of hyperventilation. His lips were far too close to the neglected half of her bosom to even think of stopping though, so his chin moved aside what little of her top that still shielded her modesty and held no hesitation covering the perfectly pink nipple with his lips, proceeding to toy with the sensitive skin with an exploratory tongue.

He could feel her startled cries before they escaped past her lips. The way Elizabeth writhed underneath him had the most alluring quality to it that had him seething with anticipation. Legs, he should have bound her legs; both seemed longer than ever when they clamped onto his hips and her feet came down onto the bed between his and forced his legs to spread wider—bringing him down onto her. This action surprised him and he grunted against the pressure of his groin against her body. Had she done that on purpose since he'd not let her rise to him? Meliodas released the pert nipple and dragged his entire body the short distance so that his dark hazels met with blue and orange.

Elizabeth was unable to garner a sense of cause and effect at the moment as she stared back into his eyes with heavy breaths. Sir Meliodas was making her ache in so many ways that she could not decipher whether it was good or bad—but then again, when it came to the union of a demon and a servant of the light... the line between the two just might be quite jagged. His eyes expressed the smile she could not see as he said to her, "Now that wasn't very nice, Izzy. You're the one being punished here, not me."

She felt so vulnerable with her hands tied like this! Strike that, she was _completely_ vulnerable. It was clear that she wanted this man, this demon in every way possible but did that make it right? Surely being bound like this should bother her. Wait, it did bother her!

Just not enough to make her want to stop him...

Everything she was feeling right now felt both wrong and oh, so, so right. Elizabeth slowly began to shake her head, "I'm, I'm s, sorry, Captain... please."

Meliodas stared at her for a moment, then replied with more rounded eyes, "Nope, that's not either one of the things you can say." She could feel the chuckle rumbling in his chest as he began to lower himself back down her body, "so let's continue, shall we?" His fingers found purchase on the smooth leather resting on her waist as he began sliding it down her hips. The princess hissed as he began sprinkling her inner thigh with kisses as he removed the last garment she wore. Meliodas dropped it unceremoniously on the floor before he began tracing his lips back up her other leg. Once he reached the apex of his princess' virginity, he murmured one more thing to her. "There's something our little adventure earlier made me wanna try."

The heat Elizabeth was already feeling from his kisses and his undressing suddenly doubled, tripled, erupted from nothing short of a volcano when her captain placed his lips over her femininity, hummed in a pleased tone and gently began long drawn out sucking motions that left her singing a new octave and reeling her head back, clearing the path for her vocals. Finally able to arch her back, she only gave him further advantage as he slipped both his hands under her to grasp her hips tightly, holding her lower body in place.

How could torture and bliss walk hand in hand like this? Elizabeth pulled desperately at her restraints as her hips fought against the anchor he'd made. Her captain's lips had bewitched her before, but never like this. She could feel every movement he made, from the breath of his nose to the many times his chin grazed the lowest part of her bottom. Her breath was already haggard when the damnedable Sin reintroduced his tongue to her skin. Long sinuous strokes left her toes curling and her lungs contracting. Her complete inability to touch him or move her hips _must_ be the punishment he'd spoke of. Truly this was torture. A lover's torture. She tried to embrace the pleasure his actions brought, but all it did was drive her hunger more. Elizabeth pulled at the bed as hard as she could when she felt that same sinful tongue slither within and stroke her insides. Then one of his hands swept from her hip to grasp hungrily at her rear as her captain's mouth began to press into her, as though trying to reach something unattainable but so close that it was worth the effort to try. Elizabeth attempted to scream out for him but was only granted gibberish. Her thighs hugged both sides of his head but it did not hinder him at all. The beast in him was receiving desserts that had been a long time coming. Vibrations from his growls shook Elizabeth from the inside out and made the Siren sing.

It was intensely gratifying when he felt her legs grow tighter along with her abdomen. Meliodas pulled his tongue away just before his prey reached climax. Again he heard the same whimper he'd heard in the cold storage and licked his lips before removing his hands to climb back over her. On his journey back to her eyes, he placed a lingering kiss on her belly button, and both peeks of her bosom. There would never be another day that he would not cherish everything about this woman.

Between kisses to her neck, the Sin captain asked, "How're ya doin, Elizabeth?"

"Ca, Captaaaain..." Elizabeth's fists were gripping the rope tightly while she averted her eyes from the man above her, officially too shy to look at him.

Meliodas lifted his head from her pulsing neck and mercilessly used a finger to tilt her face back to him. "You don't need to ever look anywhere else, Izzy. I'm here for you."

The princess' tightly wound body relaxed a bit at his words, but she still blushed and looked away as she said something her captain would have never thought she'd have the fortitude to say. "Then... then make love to me... Meliodas. I, I need you."

Feeling both pleased and astonished, the Dragon Sin again tilted her chin more so that she'd look at him again, "Making love is nothing but sex unless lovers actually love each other." Meliodas lowered his lips to kiss one of her blushing cheek bones, then the other. "I can tell you that I love you and know I'm telling the truth, but you would have to trust me." His eyes bore down into hers, captivating his prey, "can you do that? Put your faith in a demon?"

Elizabeth sighed, of course Meliodas would be concerned about a lack of trust. He'd been faced with prejudices his whole life living among humans. Trying to smile and appear sure of herself despite the fact that she was naked and bound, she replied, "I have had nothing but faith in you for quite some time now, Sir Meliodas. It is through you that I have found faith in myself. I love you, Captain, and, and I want you to take me as your lover."

Those words spoken from his princess would forever be the fondest memory the Dragon Sin could ever hope to gain. Now that he was sure that Elizabeth had no more reservations, Meliodas leaned in to kiss her again, gently this time so that he could feel every rumble of his partner's pleased moans. The demon slipped out of his remaining clothing without so much as a bump to his luscious silverette, thus their kiss was enhanced when she gasped at his length knocking at her doors. Such a succulent intake from his lady did more than take his breath away and Meliodas immediately caved into his desire. Passionately and bordering on violently, he dug his hands into her hair and thrust inside her. The two groaned together as Elizabeth shuddered at her virginity's sacrifice. Meliodas trembled at more pleasure than even he had ever experienced. Never in his wildest fantasies could he have imagined what it felt like surrounded by this woman. A growl fled from his lips and into hers as Elizabeth's legs wrapped around him. Meliodas reached up and easily broke the rope keeping his lover latched to the bed. Before Elizabeth could gasp, the blonde had moved her tied wrists to rest around his neck and lifted them both off the bed. The elven princess squeaked at such a sudden change and the brief pain she'd felt shifted from numbness, then to bliss in the blink of an eye.

Elizabeth could not see that her knight's pupils had narrowed into slits, in fact she could hardly see anything for the moon had waned. Now with hands that gladly took hold of the Dragon Sin's hair, she hunched over and recaptured his lips. At that same moment, the beast holding her swung her against the wall. Kissing him was the only thing that saved the back of her head from crashing into the unrelenting wood as he pinned her and began a repetition of merciless thrusts.

Elizabeth tried to cling to the kiss they shared but as the knight intensified his untamed ferocity, she could do nothing but throw her head back and lean against the wall, wailing. Meliodas savored the sight of her neck, ripe with pulsing blood as he savagely fed her his wrath. He held her up with one hand that felt large enough to be a claw to the overstimulated elf as his other took hold of her hip, slowly snaking upward to grasp a breast that bounced every time he sheathed himself within her.

"Aaaaaahh!" Again Elizabeth was anchored with no way to move, the prisoner of a demon. She teetered between screams of pleasure and pain while the Sin of Wrath continued to invade her, again and again. She could do nothing but grip his hair and scream for her captain. It felt like her entire body was set aflame, yet her skin felt chilled. A thin coat of sweat began to make her skin glisten, salty sweetness that the Dragon Sin smelled, tasted and idolized. He trailed his tongue up to her chin before nibbling his way back down to her collar bone, growling his claim the entire while.

He could feel himself loosing control as his lady tightened her legs' hold on his hips as she straightened her back in a high pitched scream of ecstasy that buried his face in her bosom. Nonetheless his vigor never relented even when he felt his lover's climax surround him. Meliodas released a loud provocative moan that was muffled by her breasts when Elizabeth's core grew tight, wet, and so much warmer all at once. Through gritted teeth, the demon persevered, lulling the silverette into a state of blind euphoria.

When Meliodas felt himself reaching his end, he wrapped both his arms tightly around his lover's slim waist and groaned again, sending vibrations all throughout Elizabeth's body. The elf screamed out anew as the demon filled her with his seed and cried out her name with his final thrusts. There the two of them stayed, panting and overwhelmed by the deed they had done. Elizabeth mindlessly pawed at her lovers hair while the blonde held her and breathed her in. Never before had Meliodas felt like this after sex—making love truly was a most sensational experience.

Not many things at that moment could have brought either one of them out of the sublime stupor they were cultivating. However, such pleasantries are damn near impossible to cling to when the floor moans, creaks, and collapses right out from under you.

* * *

 **Thanks for waiting my fantastic, lovable and lickable lovelies! For a while there, this chappie had me stumped, STUMPED! Then I thought to myself, screw it. I'm gonna be me and just hope the characterization works itself out.  
** **(after basically only writing Nalu lemons all this time, writing Melizabeth was a mind fuck. o.o;;)**

 **Hope it was worth the wait!**

 **And here's your lil treat cuz I feel loved, what with leaving the lucky thirteen in and dust and all:**

* * *

Hawk: *humming to himself happily while the Sin party awaits Arthur and Merlin's arrival at the newly dubbed Round Table*

Diane: *giggles, thinking the pig's happiness is cute* Was the captain's dinner really that good?

Hawk: Huh? What? Oh yea! That stuff was great! I can't believe that guy has only been giving me scraps! From now on, I'm gonna be livin the good life!

Diane: *frowns* Why DID the captain give you half his food anyway? I don't think I've EVER seen him do that before...

Hawk: *if a pig can blush, then Hawk did it* Oh! Uhh... Er, ummm...

Diane: *grows exceedingly curious at piggy's hesitation* Uh huh?

Hawk: Hey! Doesn't Arthur got anything to drink around this joint?

King: *even lazing back on his pillow, he notices Diane's disappointment at Hawk's change of subject so decides to mess with him and speaks in an unconcerned tone* I don't see why you were so happy to leave the captain alone with the princess, Sir Hawk. Don't you remember how easily the captain can get out of ropes like that?

Hawk: *gasp*

Diane: Oh yeah... *reclines in her chair and recalls* Remember when him and Ban had that bet a while back?

King: *smiles bashfully and nods to Diane* Yes, they'd had us tie them up just to see which one could get loose the fastest.

Hawk: *trembles*

Diane: *laughs fondly* Uh huh! Captain won by a landslide! Stupid Ban was so pissed!

Hawk: *runs in circles yammering incoherently while the two Sins share a laugh* I, I, I, I GOTTA GO! *careens to the exit as fast as his chubby little legs can carry him, but slams on the breaks when he sees Arthur and Merlin walking in*

Merlin: *smirks down at the pig trying to get past her and closes the door behind her, trapping him inside* Have a seat, Sir Hawk. I do not wish to be here all night.

Hawk: But, but, but, but...

Merlin: A deal is a deal, little piggy. *lifts a knowing eyebrow at him*

* * *

 _ **Just for you my lovelies**_

 _ **Seriphia  
**_ **aka  
** _ **Lick  
**_ _ ***~.ㇸ6.~***_


	31. Speculations and Promises

_**FANFIC GODDESS' FINAL COMMANDMENT!  
**_ **Thou shall embrace the insanity of that is Lick, for thou knows its power is great, and fighting is hopeless (written by Yurika the Wordsmith).**

 **Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **NEW COMMANDMENT! Didja see, didja see?! Eeeee! The Licky has a full set of ten now! :3**

 **IBook** **: Hahaha! Is it bad that I went and thought about Nalu at ure comment? XD  
** **Dom : LOLLIPOP! o.o  
** **WolfyWhisper** **: lol, I kinda got a thing for: the hunt. Stormie was gonna kick my ass if I didn't do another hunt. XD LOL, why DID the floor collapse, HMMMM? XD Speculation is as speculation does... heh heh.  
** **SassyKitty** **: Your frustrations fill me on the inside much like a warm blanket would on the outside. Mmmmmm... Don't forget to breath (NOT optional).  
** **Stormie** **: Omg Stormie, the books you write for me. Lessee, lessee. First of all, I do believe the Dom has a song just perfect for you... situation, and next, no... it really was pure coincidence—however I'm sure the meeting with Arthur MAY have been set up by Meliodas...  
** **RUN OVER WATER?! HA HA! I just cracked up all over again. And YES I added a lil slapstick, HAH, you think their moment would escape the general law of physics? Ahem, I hope you enjoyed that shower, cuz I enjoyed the Ban moment you gave me, *grin*  
** **BettyDearest** **: The woods? What? HMM? Naaah, just a few brownies... ahem, that's all. I would DEFINITLY just chalk it up to imagination cuz—ain't nobody here but us brownies! I'd be faaar more worried about the possibility of a much needed appendage breaking in such a nasty fall. o.o Yes, worry about THAT instead. ^^;; Cuz there be no drama here. At all. Nope. Just brownies. Yep.  
** **Strom** **: Lol, Haha, or what they DON'T do. *snicker snicker*  
** **FictionHeart** **: Yaaaaaaay! :3  
** **Dea** **: Mel cheated? CHEATED?! That jerk! That's it! I'm calling another DO OVER DAMNIT! Goddamn cheating demons! No good I tell ya! Haha, my kitty Ban needs his ass whooped, btw, asshole won't stay of the kitchen counter. Fuckin Fox Sin and his table sitting! PEOPLE EAT THERE YA KNOW! Ps, that attachment you sent me was a trip! Really great reasoning there, wtg!  
** **LucyDragneel** **: I made the Lulu blush! Yaaaay! *adds a tally mark* Mwahaha!  
** **FlameDragonHime : Stabbed you? o.o I can do that? Omg, that opens up so many possibilities! And yes, that poor tavern can only take so much. Hehe, shoulda moved it back outside! ;D  
** **MalevolentMagician** **: I think that Elizabeth's 'blushing gland' is in serious need of an overhaul, hehe, the thing's about as overused as carpenter's holey socks! Speaking of carpenters, Meli's gonna have to get his carpentry on!  
** **IntangiblyMINE : Well, I guess I deserved that, what with all the interruptions that happen... ALL THE TIME. But don't you worry your pretty lil head about that forest. Shhh, everything's fine now... LOL, I'm so glad you liked the ending. XD A few people are griping at me cuz I ruined their special moment. IT WASN'T ME! Gravity works!  
** **L-chan** **: IKR! That piggy needs to just give it up and be our chrismas ham. Mmmmm... ham... I love you L-chan! Bejinhos!  
** **DGMsILVER** **: Yaaaay! Thankyou! =^.^=  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: It did, it did, lol. Stormie-bae said nothing but a hunt would suffice, and I had to agree, but yea, Lucy and Elizabeths reactions were TOTALLY different. XD Have a good night Scarlet! Lick luvs and licks you!  
** **Yojimbo** **: ROFL! Omg, dude, I... I got nuthin. XD  
** **Raqualia** **: No more sexual tension? o.o! WHAT HAVE I DONE!? AGGGG! (nice moves btw!)  
** **MyLuv** **: XD LOL! Sooooo, you're sayin I oughta go back to placing your lickin at the bottom of a chap? I KNOW! Hawk is freakin great! Maaaan what is her gonna DO!  
** **Rori** **: The Sin mark is but a thing that never happened, and Izzy will never remind them about it, nope, never!  
** **Yurika!** **Ahhh! I love you so much! My final commandment! YAY! Tell Lily hi for me!  
** **Doq** **: BE Nakaba? *pulls at collar* Is... is it hot in here? ...No? Meh, *lick lick lick!*  
** **PippElulu** **: *pulls our ear plugs* Huh? What was that? Babies? HA! Don't you know that the best kinda baby is the one that you can hand back to Mama? Yesh! o.o;;  
** **Kris** **: Haha! You can't stop reading cuz of all the subliminal messages just CAKED all over this thing. Meh, ain't no big thing. ;P Thank you!**

 **24 reviews? That's like... thirteen and a seven, tagged on with another three, and followed by one more! o.o My tongue, my, my tongue... actually feels a little dry. Holy fuck!  
** **Thanks you guys, I'm kinda hoping the speechlessness you have left me with fades by the time I finish proofing this chap.**

㈏0 **Woooooow㈏0**

* * *

Speculations  
and  
Promises

Calm waters surround the sacred city of Avalon as delicate winds urge only the laziest of waves. The moon shone brightly, stretching every shadow that lingers in the night. As the waters loped slowly on the shore, the moon stared down at the lone ship anchored there. The calm serenity came to an abrupt halt, because of that boat, for soon a loud wail erupted from within, followed by many clashes and bangs. The ship rocked furiously under the fit of the lone occupant destroying the cabin within.

A fit of anger that faded quickly as the Fox Sin dropped to the floor of the decimated cabin, holding his head in despair. His mind raced for an answer, starved for one, but every idea concluded with only more dead ends. Elaine would never let another fairy take her place. Fairies were creatures unfit for solitude and his love would never let one of her own sacrifice their happiness for hers. She was the last bit of good in him, and he would never let that go. He hadn't when he believed her dead, he damn sure wouldn't now that he knew she was alive.

Would an elf, or a nymph suffice? Who the hell could he find that would make Elaine agree to come with him? Normally when he found something he wanted, there were no second thoughts. Ban took it simply because he wanted it, but Elaine...

Red eyes widened when he felt wetness on his cheeks. His hand tentatively stroked one and he marveled at the salt water he found there. Ban the Undead doesn't cry. A groan spilled from his lips and he dug his hands into his hair, hanging his head down. He felt trapped, and a fox never did well in a cage.

The quiet was infuriating. Drink. He needed a drink. Lifting a head that felt far too heavy, Ban turned to look for one of the barrels of ale—complements of King Arthur. Through squinted eyes, Ban peered into the darkness and groaned anew. The ale had been spilled during his rage and was coating the floor in what would soon be a sticky mess.

"Whatever," he drawled, plopping into the mess to lay flat on his back. Ban stared at the dark roof for so long his eyes began to make shapes and images from the shadows while his brain toyed with what they could be. Being sober was like being a virgin. Boring and dull.

For well over half his life, there'd only been one person that had been able to get his motor running—and as the Lady of the Lake of Avalon, she claimed she had to stay pure. Well he happened to know that the thoughts swimming in her head when he was around were anything but pure. Thoughts that his greedy personality strove to encourage every chance he could. Ban rested an arm over his eyes as he cursed at the world with a simple, "Fuuuuuck."

Again with the too quiet.

The next time he opened his eyes, it was hard to discern if it was a dream or not. The best voice he could ever dream up pierced through the light sleep he'd fallen into. "Ban?"

Sleepy eyes protested opening as his blurred vision saw the golden gates wrapped up in a single woman. With a few blinks, Ban focused more clearly to see worry in his love's pristine gaze. This in turn, worried Ban, so he smiled up at her to diffuse hers. "Hey there, Lamb Chop. And here I thought you weren't gonna show."

He admired her cat-like curiosity as her eyes darted about the wrecked cabin, "Are you alright? Were you attacked?"

"Nah... Me and the ship had a disagreement," he pointed to his chest with his thumb. "I won."

Elaine shook her head a small twitch. Something was bothering him and (as always) he wasn't up for sharing. Drifting down to stand next to where he lay, the fairy squatted over him, hugging her knees. "Ban, I know you wouldn't have just dumped your drink all over the floor."

Ban's smile faded as he reached his hand up to twirl one of her many strands of gold around his fingers, "Ya got me there, Lamb Chop."

The Lady of the Lake closed her eyes and enjoyed the bandit's attentions as she waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she peeked an eye open to see him memorizing the way her hair looked between his fingers. Was he being nostalgic? "Ban?"

His sigh sounded loud in the quiet night when he pulled his hand back to dig into his own in frustration. "I don't know how I'm gonna do this," red eyes turned to look directly into hers and Elaine forced a gulp to simmer down from her throat. She'd only seen those eyes sparkle with moistness once before, and it was tears of happiness. It was when he'd discovered she was alive.

Unclear of how to respond, Elaine looked away and chewed her lip, "Ban, I—"

The Fox Sin sat up and snatched her into his arms and buried his face into her neck with such speed that she'd never even had a chance to yelp. From being tucked so snugly in his arms, she could feel his chest heaving from soundless sobs though his voice spoke fluidly.

"Let's just run away. Just come with me and we will find a way to rid you of this Lady of the Lake bullshit. Fuck those Ascended! I'm a goddamn bandit, I take what I want and I damn sure will keep what's mine!"

The passion from what he spoke into her neck broke her heart and glued it back together all at once. The fairy quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, hoping to give him solace.

"I know I can talk Merlin into figuring this out, hell, if she wants that fuckin sword back—she'd better! Just come with me, Elaine!"

Ban knew she would deny him even before he poured the idea out. Elaine was too perfect to simply abandon her post. She wouldn't before, and she wouldn't now. Somehow knowing this did not restrain his hope that she would be willing to be with him, no matter the consequences however. He clung to her tighter as her emphatic personality began to absorb his desperation. "Oh Ban..."

Elaine stroked small hands through his hair and eventually managed to encourage him to lift his head. "The sword must be returned to Arthur and you know it." Her eyes softened at the wild look his red orbs searched hers with and she ghosted a hand down his jawline to cup his cheek. "I will always be here, Ban, you do not need to think you have to hold it ransom for my sake."

The Sin of Greed could not be content with that, no matter how much he willed himself to. Still gripping her tightly, he replied, "You have lived such a long life, but you've seen nothing. I need you to be free, to come with me and experience life, Elaine. That's the reason I need to know... if not that lazy brother of yours, who the hell can I get to take your place?"

It could have simply been his imagination, but Elaine's sweet smile seemed to glow a radiant gold that brightened not only the area around them, but his aura as well. "I am sorry that you cannot steal me away this time, but I am sure you will find a way. Your companions will help, I know it, if you could only find it within yourself to reach out to them."

Ban could do nothing at that moment but pull her face to his for a mesmerizing taste of honeysuckles. His groan was her sigh as his tongue tickled the roof of her mouth and reached out to mix with hers. His hands immediately began to search for the bottom of her dress, finding their way to Elaine's bare, soft skin. Always a victim of his own greed, Ban took full advantage of his fairy's solid form, hoping to share as much love as he could with her before she would grow too embarrassed (or whatever it was that made her melt) to remain that way. To his surprised grunt, the Lady of the Lake displayed hunger for him as well and leaned into him, desiring his touch.

His hands explored her body from under her dress, generously leaving one to act as a seat for his beloved as the other continued its journey up her hip and on past her side. The Fox Sin's destination was the fairy's breasts, and as he tasted her lips he felt as though nothing could stop him this time. He longed to make her lust for him just as he had been starving for her. So when that large, chilled hand reached its goal, Ban groaned past his blonde's lips in victory and all consuming desire for more. He was acutely aware of exactly where she sat on his lap and adjusted himself to willingly receive the torture of her weight on his growing need as he slid his other hand from her rear to her hip. A hip he quickly pressed down onto the strained leather of his pants forcefully as a pleasured and somewhat alarmed squeak came from the source of his lecherous acts.

Elaine gasped under his groping and stopped breathing as he held her down on his lap, somehow encouraging one of her legs to swing over his other side in a most unladylike straddle. Manners were not much of what was on her mind however as she broke from their kiss to call out her desire for the man stingy enough to take what he wanted. The bulge trapped within red leather felt as though it was reaching out for her as he pressed her down into it. Ban groaned at the sensation as his hand abandoned her breast to splay itself behind her back so that his could drag a tongue so kindly warmed by Elaine's kiss up her neck.

The way that he held her to him had Elaine blushing madly as heat welled inside her like never before and she actually wished for her bandit's nudity. Her fingers slipped past his jacket's collar to claw into the back just under his shoulders, bringing something similar to a growl to come from the Sin she perched on.

"Elaine..." Ban whispered as he nipped the side of her neck between his teeth. "You know you're mine right?"

The Lady of the Lake shivered under his husky voice as his hand guided her core to rub over him in an extremely tantalizing way, "Huuuuuuuh... Yes Ban... I will al-always be!"

Even through pants such as his, the Sin of Greed could feel the moist heat she had for him and began slowly motioning one finger at a time to slide over the hip he held to get closer to those warmer waters. "Good..." Ban easily brought his head back up to hover over the tiny fairy's as he smiled cunningly down at her, "cuz I've been all yours for a long time."

Just as his fingers dipped down to touch the creamy center of her core, a lustful cry was set loose from his lady and he was suddenly drenched in the splash of water that she transformed into.

That last cry of hers echoed in his ears as he sighed at her departure and he brought his fingers to his mouth. Sucking them dry proved to gift him with more than just the refreshing water she'd bathed him in just now and his lips curled with refreshed resolve. "Oh, you ain't getting outta this, Lamb Chop. I'll set you free, and you'll learn what being mine is really all about..."

* * *

 **A/N: If you're starving for a lil more... randy~ness from our delightful Fox Sin, Go check out Stormie's (RainStorm2122) latest chappie! She fixed me up goooooood! ㈏2**

* * *

^.~

"EEEEEEEEEK!"

Hawk burst back out of the Boar Hat he'd just entered, screaming, much to King and Diane's surprise. They'd stayed outside, chatting as the piggy had scampered in to check on Elizabeth. He'd come running back out with the door only barely closing behind him to run around the two Sins; Hawk was flipping out about how the pub must have been attacked. King and Diane shared a bewildered glance and hesitantly walked in to see a large hole in the ceiling. Their captain's new rug lay on top of quite a good size of debris while his desk and bed teetered, threatening to become another victim of gravity's grasp at any moment. Diane let out a long, single-pitched whistle while the fairy instinctively drifted up to the hole to move the furniture before it tumbled to the bar's floor as the rug had.

The piggy was still squealing, deducing how much trouble Elizabeth could be in—because a force even stronger than a hog-tied Meliodas came in and snatched her away, leaving nothing but doom and destruction in its wake. While King secured the furniture, Diane raised a brow to Hawk's over-active imagination and planted a foot onto his bouncing hide and easily tipped him over with folded arms and a frown. "Geez, Hawk. Settle down, wouldja? No way would Captain let anything happen to Elizabeth on his watch."

Hawk popped right back on his hooves and exclaimed loudly at the Sin of Envy, "Then what the heck do you think coulda happened? No way would Meliodas just _let_ someone wreck his precious tavern!"

"Hmmm..." Diane put a finger to her lips and mulled over a logical answer.

King floated back down, having leaned his captain's large bed against the wall that still had the biggest portion of floor to it along with the desk. "Calm down, Hawk." The fairy hovered over the ground, being sure that his height remained equal to his affection's shrunken form next to him as he tried to dissuade the pig's panic attack. "It's possible that with all the new renovations upstairs, it was only a matter of time before the floor's integrity was compromised." He tried smiling reassuringly at the pink ball of fatty meats, but only managed bashful, "see? Nothing to get all worked up about."

"Sound like Gowther, much?" Diane said reproachfully and looked up at the gaping hole with the inquisitive finger still tapping her lips as she added in her hypothesis. "I'm sure that..."

 ***enter Diane's chibi animated thought bubble***

"Elizabeth and the Captain were just sleeping (cuddling, I'm sure) when Mama Pig had a sudden and horrible case of the sneezes, crashing the floor right out from under them. They could still be stuck under all that rubble even." Her thoughts put special emphasis on a twitching leg of the captain's as blood mingled with the wreckage.

 ***exit chibi imagination bubble***

"EEEEEK!" Hawk begins digging into the debris with intensified vigor.

"Or..." Diane continued her speculations.

 ***Another chibi thought bubble***

"The captain could have burst right out of those ropes and started to chase Elizabeth around with those touchy feely hands of his, hehe, with a grin fulla sharp teeth, I'm sure! And when he actually caught her, they crashed right through the floor—meaning that they are still down under there..."

 ***exit chibi imagination bubble again***

"EEEEEEEKKKK!" Hawk begins to dig and toss debris into the air in a mad fit to rescue Elizabeth from the Sin of Wrath's clutches.

Diane smiled to herself and caught her fist into her hand with a triumphant smirk, "Or maybe Elizabeth and the captain finally cons—"

"Uh... Di-Diane?" King interjected hesitantly, "I don't think it matters exactly how it happened, so long they're safe..."

Diane looked at him with round eyes before nodding with a content smile. "Of course they are! The captain's not gonna be done in by some dumb ole' collapsing floor!"

Hawk jumped out from the tunnel he was beginning to dig, yelling, "the what the heck was all that blood on your mind for then!?"

"Oh," Diane scratched her head with a small blush and a tongue sticking out playfully. "My imagination gets the best of me sometimes..."

Both King and Diane look on curiously as the over-sized porker tipped over and starts whining.

^.~

Morning greeted the third princess of Liones with a sun stretching its yawning limbs up to eventually pull itself higher. She yawned into the fabric of her captain's shirt, belatedly remembering exactly why they were outside under the sunrise. The memory came with a bright blush attached to it and an awkward feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Elizabeth pointedly kept her face turned away from the man (hopefully) sleeping as her head laid on his chest. Her eyes were wide and darted around in something just short of a panic attack. The intimacy she'd shared with him last night...

Oh goddesses! How would she ever be able to look him in the eye ever again? She'd just had sex... _sex_ out of wedlock. She wanted badly to blame her actions on Lady Merlin, for having given her that bloody Sin of Seduction title—but she knew it would be nothing but an excuse for her actions.

Over four hundred years a virgin... and she'd kissed it all good bye in a fit of passion. Why oh _why_ hadn't she said that 'Lollipop' word he'd said to say?

…

Worst part was...

There wasn't a thing about last night that she would have changed, given the opportunity.

That little fact didn't make it any easier to lift up her head and bid her captain a good morning, like she'd done so many times in the past, however.

Eyes that were already well rounded somehow became more so when gentle but strong hands began running through her hair. These were the hands that she'd made the choice to know best, they were hands she loved... but at the moment... they were hands that embarrassed her more than strutting through a crowded street completely naked.

"We can just stay like this all day if ya like."

Just like that, he helped diffuse the situation. Vaguely wondering if he knew how saying something so small could mean so much, Elizabeth slowly lifted herself up, taking a deep breath of the lovely morning air.

Meliodas leaned up just enough to prop up on his elbows to provide a better view to watch her stretch. Knowing what those breasts felt like between his teeth only made the tease that much more potent as she first stretched one arm with an arched back, then the other so that she could hold the blanket they'd shared up to her modestly. When her gaze finally fell to him, he gave her a half-cocked grin. She blushed and looked off to the side, but she couldn't hide that small smile that graced those lips.

Elizabeth focused on the grass a few feet from the knee folded neatly under her as she said, "I'm not sure that the others would like their captain disappearing on them."

The Dragon Sin's grin grew more full at her statement and decided to playfully respond with, "Well, I'm sure they'd figure out that, as new lovers, we'll need _extra_ private time."

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she glanced back at him, regretted it—and looked away again with a face not unlike a glowing beacon. "Sir, Sir Meliodas! I am quite sure that they must be worried about us!"

The carefree face on her lover was the most favorite thing in the entire world, so why couldn't she look at it? She felt warm all over, yet had goosebumps, she trembled but wasn't cold at all. Was this how one felt right before they died? As overwhelmed with emotions as she was, the princess never noticed the warm and comforting arms coming around her from behind until they were snugly wrapped around her.

Her captain's face pressed into the bridge of her neck as he spoke with a lower pitch that had the rare trait of having little humor to his voice. "It's alright, Izzy. Things may seem a little weird right now, but you need to know that I'll always have your back. No matter what happens." The elven archer could feel him take an extensive smell of her hair before he added, "I love you, and I'm not letting you go."

There's that word again, Love. Somehow, a demon such as Meliodas reciprocated her affections. How could anyone ever feel safer? Elizabeth was sure there would be countless times in the future that this handsy, crazy Sin of Wrath would make her feel uncomfortable and flushed... but it was a price she was willing to pay to have him as her own. She chuckled when his grip on her tightened as he moved his lips closer to her ear, "And I'm not all that good at sharing, so I think we'll stay right here for a bit longer."

Well, captain's orders were captain's orders, right? The Siren Sin couldn't have hid the smile she wore had she tried as she leaned back into him and rested her head against his. Watching a hawk soar high above them in a blue, cloudless sky, the princess simply replied, "Aye, Captain."

The purr that came from the knight behind her was positively sinful.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I know, I know... fantastically late chapter. I gotta tell ya though, it's gonna get worse before it gets better. T.T**

 **Summertime is comin and school lets out next week, and my two daughters are gonna be on my case 24/7. Maybe we'll count pennies and see if I can't find them a few nice and LOOOONG video games...**

 **Anywho, my stories are not rush jobs, each chapter is a masterpiece (to me, neways), and I cannot release it if I'm not feelin it, so my typical attempt at one chappie a week will most likely wither and die—but this tale will not be abandoned, this I promise you. My writing time has abandoned me, but the Lick will never forsake you. :)**

 **THANK YOU forever and always for your massive support! Your reviews really are my bread and butter. Aaaaaaand, cutting my ramblings short now:  
** **here's the bonus dialogue! LICK LUVS YOU!**

* * *

Lara: *standing outside the drow's residence, keeping a wary eye at the front door instead of keeping a wary eye on the outside* Psst, Aral! So... what's up with that Gowther guy? Is he like... crazy?

Aral: *raises a brow at the sudden and fleeting flash of light inside the house* How should I know! Just keep your guard up so we can get our bows back!

Lara: Seriously though! Something's not right about him! Did you know he took a book from Liones' library?

Aral: What do I care if he... Wait. *narrows eyes at his sister* How do YOU know that?

Lara: I maaay have gone through his things...

Aral: What else did you find—WAIT, LARA! *whisper yells* You can't just go through his things like that! Don't you know he's one of the most powerful knights in Britannia? Do you have a death wish?

Lara: *pouts* You wouldn't be mad if you knew exactly _what_ lil bit of literature the dude snagged from our kingdom's library. The thing is ANCIENT!

Aral: You need help, Lara. Maybe we can find a doctor somewhere. This is a big kingdom, maybe there will be a few to choose from.

Lara: Damnit! I'm not crazy! Listen to me!

Aral: Shhhhh. Snooping through the stuff of a Seven Deadly Sin is a desperate cry for help, Lara, and I'm here to tell you: I hear you.

Lara: ...You really suck, you know that right?

Aral: *withholding laughter fails* Yeah, I know.

Lara: I hate you.

Aral: I know. You love me too though.

Lara: Psssh, don't remind me.

Aral: Now, about the book?

Lara: *smiles slyly* I think I may have solved the ongoing mystery of the Unnamed Bow!

Aral: *spits out the water he was taking a drink of, curiosity good and peeked*

* * *

 **Just for you, my lovelies.  
** _ **Seriphia  
**_ **aka  
** _ **Lick**_

 ***~.㈎0.~***


	32. Conceptual

**Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **Lick lick lick lick lick! Num num num num!**

 **BettyDearest** **: That means a lot to me Dearest. I absolutely adore hearing from you, so sweet with a hint of dirty. I love it, I love the Dearest! ❤  
** **FlameDragonHime : o.o Okie, I shall try to use my newfound powers of the virtual stab ONLY on villians. With great power, comes horrible responsibility. LICKS FOR DA HIME!  
** **Dom : XD It's not at all where I was going, but holy shit it does fit SO WELL! What a total... aHEM... fluke! But no. No Dom, no. For the complete genocide of the Sudbury clan (so near and dear to me), your sweet words will do nothing but put this lone Sudbury on edge. Aye, I shall dance with the devil, and plot my revenge accordingly.  
** **Raqualia** **: Video game advice! YAAAAY! Alas, my children are not yet awesome enough to appreciate the finer things like rpgs, the epic stories and intriguing battles. I tried to get my ten year old into a few classics a couple summers ago, I really should try again—but she's consumed with the many apps of the not/games and it's robbing my girl of what a true gamer girl could be! T.T  
** **MyLuv** **: AH HAHAHAHA! Hug the Ban! He needs the luv! Just cuz he's undead and opts that King is—SAFER—during travels behind safety glass doesn't mean that he does not need the Luv! He had a rough childhood! SHOW HIM THE LUV! Similarities? Of course! We're AWESOME! Luv ta lick ya!  
** **IBook** **: OTP! Yaaay! A cut from the same cloth we are! Oh I cannot get enough of the Nalu! Ever since my zombie saga finally led those two to have their lemon—that's kinda the only bits I wanna write! XD But the story must go on! I am so glad that the chapter, even with it's heavy feels jump started you back! Ty for sharing! *lick!*  
** **Yurika!** **Pork roast... mmmmmmmmmmm. Gawd, some sausage pigs in the blanket sound absolutely AMAZING right now too. I can't wait til u get down to the xtra lil bit of dialogue this time! *holds breath*  
** **Lakeya** **: Thank you! Much love your way!  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: Ban? BAN! Fuck that guy, LICK needs the love! T.T he mistreats me so. All I do is love him! WHY!? *whimpers* Oh, and an unnamed bow? Hmm... I just have NO idea. Those twins are crazy. Have a wonderful night!  
** **SassyKitty** **: Mmmmm... I love it when you beg. It tingles me.  
** **FictionHeart** **: *lick!* Yaaaay! Ty! Here it is! I love ure pen name btw, the voices feed me a new lil image everytime I read the name.  
** **Strom** **: Omg! You guys are gonna make me cry! Thanku sososososo much! ㈏2  
** **Stormie** **: Luv TOTALLY did! Haha! There she went, reading that stuff at work again! HA! XD Omg! The stain! THE STAIN! XD Hahahaha, we may or may not see that again, hehe! I wonder I wonder what Gowther, the drows and those two crazy elves were up to all day... Hmmmm... Oh I luv you Stormie~bae! *lick!*  
** **KoaKoa** **: Oh ty, Can I call you KoaKoa? I kinda love it! *bats eyelashes*  
** **LucyDragneel** **: The tally marks have consumed my interior décor at this point. Alas I have lost count, but I added about sixteen since the last chapter—oh! And about ten more just from my Luv reading the chap! XD  
** **L-chan** **: Oh I KNOW! T.T And yes, King censored what she was about to say** ** _quite_ well, if I do say so myself! Ty so much L-chan! We went to the zoo today and my four yr old got face painted up like a tiger! RAWR!  
** **OceanMelodies** **: Hahaha! In a lot of ways, that first chapter is and will forever be my favorite! Thanku! *lick lick!***

 **And to the several others I have grown accustomed to hearing from, you know who you are:  
** **I love you, and lick you. Like... a LOT.**

 **The xtra dialogue will be added to the bottom, since, you know, you are all so awesome! I hope you enjoy!  
** **Enough sappy! Let's move on to SAPPY!**

 **-.㈳3.-**

* * *

Conceptual

No matter how long the two of them remained sitting there in a field of grass, not once did Meliodas ever feel compelled to move on with the next part of their day. For all it mattered to him, their story could have ended here, forever frozen for the remainder of time. However, life had a much different plan for the demon lord and it seemed as though the Tay'daishar resting in his arms knew it as well when she finally began to fidget.

A smug, perverted smile curled onto the edge of his lips as a hand trailed up the thin sheet covering his lover to grasp a perfectly plump breast as he hummed, "If you're getting antsy, I can think of a cure or two..."

He could see the delightful tint of pink manifest itself even on the back of her neck as she replied, "Sir... Sir Meliodas! We should to get back... the others may be worried."

Meliodas had the courtesy to contemplate her concern for a moment before responding, "They'll be alright."

Her chuckle sounded like music to his ears as she lowered his hand and rose (he managed to keep from pouting rather well). Exactly how much of a brighter color would she turn if that blanket she held against such a glorious bosom _accidentally_ slipped from her fingers?

Wondering if she might be too sore to go another bout right here in the grass, Meliodas smiled up at her while she stretched, "How're ya feeling?"

One of her long ears twitched as her silver hair swung about when she turned back to look at him with the most adorable innocent, multi-colored eyes, "How, how am I feeling?"

With a shade of a darker green in his eyes, the demon nodded, repeating, "How're ya feeling?"

"Umm," Elizabeth looked away, with a smaller blush and a tiny smile as she murmured, "getting better every moment... I suppose."

Was that a yes, or a no to another rumble right here in the grass? He couldn't tell. Meliodas bounced to his feet and looked up to her happily, "That's great!" With a lecherous waggle of his brows he added, "so you'll be good for another do over tonight, hmm?"

A sweatdrop came upon a supremely embarrassed princess as she murmured, "Oh dear..."

Meliodas grinned at her, then turned about and plucked a purple blossom from the ground. With every intention of giving it to her, he looked back—and froze. She was tying his sheet around her to drape down her sculpted body much like one would see in the depictions of roman goddesses. Once the knot was satisfactory, Elizabeth lifted her hair from the sheet's confines and to Meliodas, it seemed to tumble about her succulent curves in slow motion—complete with impressive sparkles reflecting off her statuesque, porcelain skin.

 ***insert FairyTail's trademark ❤Woooooooow❤ here***

Elizabeth noticed his total dumb-struck expression with curiosity. The poor elf had no idea that the conspiring demon was dreaming up all the different, dirty ways they could play the next time she let him worship her. She giggled at his silly expression and turned in the direction on the Boar Hat, inevitably granting Meliodas a lovely view of his lover's backside with that thin sheet delicately covering her goods.

As the Seduction Sin's spell slowly began to relieve its hold on his wits, the knight tilted his head with an intriguing thought. _Tay'daishar... half-born... Could that mean—half god? Is she the daughter of one of the goddesses?_ He mulled that thought around in his head as he began following her with eyes glued to the natural sway of the elf's hips. She'd said her mother was a drow elf though, hadn't she?

Meliodas didn't care much for that line of thought, it bringing him to the other things she'd said. Such as how the drow's late queen visited her and her drow elf mother, thus that pompous prince Hendrickson had had the good fortunes to have known her far longer than he, himself. The demon lord suddenly felt it very necessary to catch up and walk beside her, taking her hand into his as they walked.

No way was he about to let her go to that creature. After all, he hadn't know her THAT much longer. Meliodas _had_ had the good fortune to meet her once when she a miniature version of what she is now... _I'd given the most beautiful elf in the kingdom a flower that day too._

As their fingers laced, he held the violet bloom up to her with a smile and not a word.

Elizabeth accepted it with a coy smile in return as they kept walking, basking in each others' company.

The walk proved too short when the bellowing voice of the Fox Sin sounded their arrival. He was sprawling in the grass just outside Camelot's walls as he looked upon the new lovers approaching from an upside down angle. "About time you two got back. You wouldn't believe the scenarios that Diane is comin up with, what with you guys skippin out on the repairs."

Elizabeth's eyes widened and released Meliodas' hand to daintily cover her mouth with both sets of fingertips, "Oh no! They aren't still worried, are they?"

Ban shrugged lazily, "How the hell should I know? I'm following in the captain's footsteps and skippin out on all that shit."

"Well, let's get going then. We'll need to finish it up if we're going to open the Boar Hat any time soon." Meliodas smirked down at his comrade.

The Fox Sin rose to his feet with a bone cracking stretch, "Yea well, you're gonna have to run things without me, Capt. I was just waiting around to make sure the elf girl here gets her Siren mark before I head out."

Meliodas looked up at him curiously, "Head out? Where ya goin?"

The line across Ban's face hinted at a frown and his eyes looked away from the both of them and into the distance, "Nowhere special."

That wasn't good enough for Meliodas. "Didja give Arthur back the sword yet?"

Ban rolled his eyes and slipped his hands in his pockets, "Damn. Not you too, Capt."

"It is sort of why the guy's paying us, Ban."

"Yea, yea. I'm getting to it..."

So the afternoon was spent with King assisting Meliodas on repairs to the tavern's ceiling while Diane and Ban sat Elizabeth down, talking tattoo designs. Hawk was following the Sin captain around, asking many, many questions (the sort that had King blushing) while the demon ignored him in favor of humming to himself while he hammered at the floor of his bedroom.

Elizabeth fidgeted where she sat, thinking her time would be better spent wiping down the filthy tables, but Ban and Diane weren't having it. The Serpent Sin sat next to her with a tongue on her lips as she hunched over a paper, no doubt trying to draw what she thought the elf's Sin mark should look like. Ban sat across from them with more life in his eyes than she'd ever seen before, playing with the scariest set of needles that never ought to have come into his possession. The princess probably looked a little blue.

"Umm... Sir Ban, Lady Diane? It this really necessary?"

"Done!" Diane spurted out, holding her paper up proudly. Both Elizabeth and Ban raised their heads and leaned in to look at it with round, blinking eyes in complete silence while the Serpent Sin beamed.

...

Of course it was Ban to point it out. "Yea... Diane. You really want the chick to be stuck with a damn stick figure for the rest of her days? Elf babes live pretty long lives. That's pretty cold."

It wasn't exactly _that_ bad, as Elizabeth was hard pressed to point out, but before she could get a word in, Diane took the defensive.

"Of course YOU wouldn't see my vision!" Diane leaned over and planted the crude drawing directly in his face and waved it around vehemently. "It's _CONCEPTUAL_ art, Ban! See? The artist takes the concept, and draws something amazing!"

The Sin of Greed reclined back into his chair with a raised brow pointed at his fellow Sin, "Pretty sure that's not what the term means."

That was the last straw Diane had from that pompous fox. What did HE know about the grand culture that art enriched? The shrunken giantess growled at his growing, smug, DUMB smirk and leapt over the table with the full intention of shoving her masterpiece down his throat. As she lunged, her hand landed on the edge of the table in front of Ban and it tipped over and followed them to the floor, successfully landing directly on top of them with a cackling Fox Sin as the bottom layer of the Boar Hat's first fox and serpent casserole.

Elizabeth blinked as the table went flying, leaving her and the chair she sat on the only survivors of the Sin of Envy's venomous fury. She continued to sit, rather tense as what started as a tackle morphed into the two of them grasping each others' hands. Diane trying to shove Ban deep into the pub's piggy foundation, and Ban not going without a fight and pushing back with all his might.

King, who was being very handy, holding up chunks of the ceiling whilst his captain made repairs, looked down at the two, wondering if he could release the particularly large piece of lumber he was currently keeping in place. "Uh... D-D-Diane? I understood your c-concept, and I really don't want to have to fix two floors in one day...!"

It was true, despite Ban's vast strength, the giantess was stronger, and was beginning to press him into the floor. Fortunately, her victim had the quick wit of his namesake and said very likely the one thing that could get her off of him faster than even recanting his previous statement.

Through a crazed grin that loved a challenge, Ban smugly drawled out, "No can do, King. The girls, the girls just can't get enough of me today..."

Diane's eyes went as wide as her blush burned red and leapt from on top of him as if he were the viper. Her knees buckled together and she pointed at him repeatedly through her frantic denials. Elizabeth sweatdropped, for the giantess had retreated all the way to behind where she sat, placing the poor princess smack, dab in the middle of a fox grinning at what could be snake for dinner.

King remained steadfast in his duty of load bearing as a shirtless Meliodas walked downstairs with his trademarked, typical, curious expression. "What's up, guys?"

The spiky haired menace had risen up to his full height, feeling pretty powerful, what with being taller than a giant, and was stalking toward her with a mad grin while Diane still wailed out her refusals. Elizabeth was a moon stag caught in bright light, frozen where she sat, surely awaiting her impending doom.

King turned to answer him with his hands still holding the ceiling, then did a double-take at the realization that the captain was no long plugging away upstairs. "C-C-C-Captain! Can I let go yet?"

"Mmmm..." The Dragon Sin hummed, "probably best that ya didn't."

"Wha, what?!" King's voice echoed in his own ears as Meliodas continued walking downstairs.

The princess, turned possible collateral damage, was the only one of them other than King to notice him... and quickly became glued to the spot for an entirely different reason. Her body grew feverish and heavy from that light smile accenting such a toned and perfectly put together chest. Knowing exactly how such skin below that belt felt like only served to complete her demise as the Fox Sin leapt over her to tackle Diane right back.

That is, until Meliodas was there, kicking the undead man who was doing nothing more than innocently trying to claim vengeance at his previous accosting off to the side.

Amidst Diane's singing the captain's praise, Meliodas knelt down on one knee in front of Elizabeth. The light emerald hue of his eyes melted the princess' heart as he lowered himself. He must have been truly worried of the danger their comrades were unknowingly placing her in to look upon her so. Elizabeth's voice hitched into her throat as she watched her one and only lover's caring gaze as he asked, "They didn't hurt cha, did they?"

As he spared not even a moment more to grip both her breasts and squeeze the fluffy mounds she'd been stingily keeping to herself in that meddlesome halter top.

The princess gasped as he examined her, err-ahmm, health. Once he was convinced she was alright on the front, he popped (that's right, popped) to behind her, so primly sitting in her chair to reach around and grope her breasts from another angle. To see if she was alright, of course.

King was blushing again, his mind boiling over from all the inappropriate questions Hawk had bogged the captain down with upstairs earlier. "C-C-Captain!"

Diane rolled her eyes, slightly offended from how her captain had just squeezed between the two girls only to further enjoy his carnal desires. "Geez, Captain. You really are hopeless."

Although nobody wanted to, everyone heard the crashes that accompanied Ban as he sat up. The princess finally found her voice and began to squeal under the captain's hands as the Sin of Greed groaned out, "You guys are lucky these tables broke my fall, another hole in the wall and that princess would never get her mark."

Meliodas paused in his groping and said, "That's right, Elizabeth's getting her mark today." As though the princess wasn't already blushing enough to have gained a temperature ten degrees too high, Meliodas came back around to her front and bent over her thoughtfully, peeking under the cloth of the elven gear she wore that hung down her legs. "Hmm, I wonder where she's gonna put it?"

"I had your back, Capt." Ban sighed, opting for reclining back onto the wreckage of tables. "I offered to tat her right under the boob so that you'd get to play find the siren... but she wasn't havin' it."

"Yea," Diane shot him a despised frown as she folded her arms, "and then he tried to get her to put it on her back like a tramp stamp!"

"Sir, Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth finally won back her wits enough to place her hands firmly on her lap, bringing her clothing down with it. The fabric slipped from his fingers and he straightened, meeting her eyes as he placed his fists onto his hips with another light smile.

"So where didja decide to put it, Elizabeth?"

This brought a squeal from Diane, who robbed her answer from her, "She's gonna put it on her leg like me! We'll be twin-zies!"

Meliodas grew a sly grin at having another reason to look at her thigh, but before his fantasies started possessing his hands, Elizabeth corrected them.

She giggled at Diane's giddiness, but replied, "Well, it will be on my calf, here." Meliodas' eyes followed her hand as it landed on the soft skin just below the far side of her knee on her left leg. His eyes lingered there as she continued. "That way it will be visible even with my boots on."

Ban's voice was heard practically singing as he mentioned that with her current choice of ensemble, the thigh would be even more visible.

"I'm fine with her sticking it on her calf. Elizabeth probably just doesn't want you so close to the goods, is all."

The princess blushed yet again, her lover guessing it right on the nose.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Diane laughed, "no one can blame her there!"

" _Captain!_ " King was still up there, holding the ceiling diligently.

Meliodas locked eyes with his red tinted love as he made another order before he returned to finish the floor, "Don't start without me, Ban." The demon's smile curled as he thought of one more way to egg Elizabeth on, "she's a kicker."

^.~

So this is the unfortunate, nail-biting turn our tale took for the evening. Ban was the only person smiling, and his smile was big enough for all of them as Elizabeth was laid onto the counter, her head resting on a pillow the captain so lovingly provided. As Ban pulled up a stool at the princess' legs, Meliodas tried a smile to cure the apprehension in his lover's eyes.

Elizabeth looked up at him and smiled nervously in return.

The Sin Captain leaned a forearm onto the counter next to her cheek and stroked through her hair with the other, "It's not gonna be all that bad, Izzy. It's something we've all gone through."

"Heh... you're gonna feel a _slight_ pinch..." Was all Ban said as he started.

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she hissed at the painful sensation tingling her skin. The blonde hovering over her quickly brought his hand to hers and gripped it tightly while the other continued to stroke through her hair.

"Oh come on!" Diane groaned, while King was trying to serve her more anger-management serum (ale) from one of the few intact tables. "I don't recall the captain holding _my_ hand when those nasty needles were going into me!"

"But, but, Diane! I was holding your hand!" King reminded her nervously.

Glazed eyes of the giantess slowly drifted to the fairy king and stayed there. She stared at him for a moment while a smile edged onto her lips. "Oh yea, that's right!" The soft smile morphed into pink tinted grin as she grabbed him into a constricting hug, sending the mug of ale crashing to the floor.

"Party foul," Ban murmured, never looking away from his work.

Meliodas held Elizabeth's hand up to his lips while he watched her nibble her bottom lip in an effort to repress her nervous panting. His thoughts were drifting to what he'd do this time because of such naughty lip abuse as her head rolled to stare at him again, "Meliodas..."

That was his cue to kiss her hand. Such a deed grew a loving smile onto his mate's perfect lips and he bent over to lightly kiss her cheek. "I'm here."

"Oops."

Both princess and captain widened their eyes at such a sound coming from the tattoo artist and Meliodas asked a silent question to his beloved. She nodded vigorously, completely mortified that her precious siren symbol might be forever botched. Ban kept working away as she stared up at the ceiling, nibbling at the inside of her cheeks as she listened to Meliodas hum at the Sin's progress.

Meliodas: ...kinda looks like a B.

Ban: Yea, I was thinkin I could change it into a heart.

"A, a heart?" Elizabeth sputtered, "No... no, I don't want a heart! N-not at all!"

Ban: Relaaaax, Princess. It'll look great.

Silence...

Meliodas: Ya know, that could be boobs, a siren could always use another set of those.

"Wha-wha-wha...!" Elizabeth was about to get up whether Ban was done or not.

She couldn't see Diane, hugging the life out of a happy fairy, containing her laughter. Possibly a good thing...

Meliodas walked back over to Elizabeth's face and planted his forehead onto hers and closed his eyes. "Don't move now. Almost done." He smiled to himself when a thought came to him, and his eyes opened again to stare down into hers deeply. "Pretty soon I'm going to officially be your captain."

Trapped under such ageless eyes, what was a girl to say? Elizabeth lifted her chin just enough to nudge noses with him before replying, "Aye Captain."

 _The Siren Sin of Seduction is working well for her..._ Meliodas thought to himself as he hummed delightedly at the sound of those words coming from her lips.

"Alright you two. You can go get a room now. I'm all done. One Tay-daishar to join our lil band of misfits." The Fox Sin stood up and folded his arms when the two of them stayed right were they were. "Well? Take a look at it."

Meliodas grinned and offered her a hand.

The silverette was beyond eager to inspect her mark, and every other face downstairs stared, anticipating her response with glee. Bending her leg out slightly to view it easier, Elizabeth gasped at such sensual use of black lines. The outline of a female form greeted her, with a few well placed lines accenting her shape and shading. The siren had one hand raised to slick down her hair as her slender waist bent so that it appeared that she was sitting with her legs immersed in water... or Elizabeth's skin, depending on which way you looked at it. All of Ban's detailed work went short of being unappreciated to favor the other, extremely unexpected part of her sin's mark.

As Elizabeth's eyes traced over a dragon twining around the siren, the very same dragon resting on Meliodas' arm, Ban added commentary. "Wish I could take full credit for the idea, but adding the other mythical creature to accent yours was Merlin's idea."

The Sin Captain's grin grew smug as he took her hand and placed it under the loosely buttoned shirt he wore, "Cuz we're lovers."

"Hey, where is Master, anyway?" Ban added curiously.

Elizabeth could feel Meliodas' heartbeat as she stared at the beautiful mark she'd been gifted with, for once able to ignore Meliodas' antics... for the moment. "Thank you..." She said softly, then with tears flowing freely, she raised her voice, looking to all of them in turn, "Thank you all so much...!"

Her gaze fell to her captain last, and saw nothing but love and a hint of mischief in his eyes—which reminded her... "Wait a moment." Meliodas caught a face full of silver hair as she whipped her head around at him, "So when you said 'oops', you were just..."

"Heh, heh," Ban and those foxy canines, "Guilty."

Then her head spun back to that rascal she'd went and fallen for, "Sir Meliodas! So you were teasing me!?"

The look he gave her was far too innocent for someone holding her hand to his chest, "Was I?"

Elizabeth's brows furrowed and snatched her hand from him, "I was worried that he'd made some horrible mistake on my mark, and you just played along?"

Meliodas' brows quirked ever so slightly and he tilted his head, "Maybe, but just a little."

"Yeeesh. No faith..." Ban rolled his eyes.

Diane couldn't hold it in any longer and rolled to the floor laughing, finally allowing King a breath of air.

"Uh oh, looks like the princess is pretty steamed. Heh, looks like my cue to take off. Good luck, Capt." Ban spoke as though he were bored, but he did make his exit a little quicker than normal. That man had learned long ago to tread carefully around disgruntled women. Now if he'd only incorporate his education into his day to day activities.

Diane sat back up and leaned her hands on her knees as she spouted out, "Hey! Are you guys really lovers now!?"

King answered first, through a flush of his own. "Of course they're not! Princess Elizabeth would never..." from his peripheral vision, he couldn't miss the silent, red elfkin standing there with a fox faced Sin Captain behind her.

" _OH MY GODDESSES THEY ARE!"_ Diane could have broken windows with that screech.

Elizabeth puffed her cheeks and turned back to her lover, embarrassment only intensifying her anger. Anger she knew was irrational—but at that instant she didn't care. "Sir Meliodas, I don't know where Sir Ban is going, but you may as well go with him!" Feeling the warmth breaching past her face to invade her neck, Elizabeth quickly retreated upstairs.

The tavern had fallen incredibly silent.

"Woooow..." Diane said finally, "guess the captain is a little rusty in the more refined art of keeping a woman happy."

Meliodas chuckled and showed a touch of humility as he asked, "So what _is_ going on between you and King, Diane?"

The giantess' eyes grew wide, murmured something about how her shrinking potion was probably about to wear off and made haste outside. Meliodas simply smiled as he slipped his hands in his pockets at the exasperated sigh King let out. "You just had to make her run away?"

The Sin Captain inhaled from his nose deeply with contentment, "Feels good to be in the doghouse."

^.~

There was no way Meliodas was going to let those be the last words between them, so once he and King finished the tables' repairs and cleaned up a pub that was clearly not going to open today, it was time to see if the siren had cooled off.

The Dragon Sin leaned against his bedroom's doorway as he knocked lightly. Once, twice, three times. With no answer and only a small flickering light from a candle, the blonde wondered if she might have fallen asleep. He'd be disappointed, but he couldn't blame her if she'd been tired enough to crash. Meliodas opened the door as quietly as the squeaky hinges would allow. He didn't want to wake Hawk. It'd been nice having a full lunch today. With Ban going out on his own again, decent meals were going to have to be found out on the town. Good thing that basilisk has such a long shelf life. There was no telling when he'd get back.

The door opened up to his beautiful princess laying on the bed in a silk, purple nightie with floral patterns. Her back was turned and she was propped on her elbows and appeared to be focusing on a book.

One of the best things about the step their relationship had taken was gauging the many sorts of reactions a partner might respond with. Such as, playing along with Ban's ruse: bad. Just how bad though? Either she was ignoring him, or hadn't noticed his arrival. Unless that was a really good book (he _did_ have a few page turners), Elizabeth really ought to have heard his knocking.

She was far too breath taking to be bathed in the window's moonlight all by herself, so Meliodas happily crawled onto the bed on top of her. As he allowed only half his weight to press against her back and withheld a chuckle at the eep she expelled which alerted him to the fact that she actually hadn't noticed his entrance. He looked over her shoulder to check which book she was reading, but she quickly slammed it shut, nearly catching his nose with it.

Oh well, he'd find out eventually. Instead of inquiring, Meliodas wrapped his arms around her shoulders and nuzzled into her neck. "I didn't wanna go with Ban. You smell much nicer."

"Oh! Oh Sir Meliodas! I'm so sorry for my outburst earlier! I'd made a decision to try and treat you all much like I'd treat guild members back home—but you're the leader here and I never should have spoke to you in such a man—ahh!"

The Sin captain hadn't cared for the concerned tone in her voice, so he'd started nibbling her ear instead. After her delicious yelp, he shifted his weight to plop onto his back right next to her, bringing her upper half onto his chest while doing so. Meliodas smiled up at her flushed, still worried expression, and rubbed the chill from her arms as he spoke. "Izzy, I'm more than just your captain. You're allowed to get mad at me, hmm, in fact I think I like it, and I might do it some more." A cunning grin rose the corners of his mouth as he added, "so long as we get ta kiss and make up."

Elizabeth tried to refrain from smiling, but it didn't work too well. Instead she shook her head and refused to accept his response. "No, Sir Meliodas. There was no excuse for such insubordination! As a princess of Liones and a high ranking member of the Archer guild, I should know better."

That grin on the captain's face just kept getting bigger. "So you're saying, as your captain, I should punish you?"

"Aye! EEP! No! No!"

"Whatcha reading, Izzy?"

"Eep! N-nothing, Sir Meliodas!"

"Call me Captain."

"Erk, I'm not sure I should."

Meliodas reached for the book next to his head while tsking, "See, there's more of that insubordination."

Elizabeth squealed, lunging for the book but Meliodas quickly pulled it from her pillow first; just for good measure, he also rolled them back over so that he was now straddling her hips while he pinned her back to the mattress. That beautiful pink on her cheeks would never vanish at this point—especially when he discovered exactly what book she'd been perusing with such diligence. Meliodas looked down at her while waving his book of Karma Sutra left and right, "A little light reading?"

It was too much for his dainty princess to have been caught red-handed in her bothersome curiosity! Elizabeth covered her face with her hands as her last line of defense.

The blonde shook his head with a humored smile and tossed the book over his shoulder and coaxed her hands away from her face with his. Touching noses with her, he tried to impress complete honesty into his gaze. "Izzy, You'll always be my lover first and foremost. The most important person in my life. You ARE allowed to be upset with me, and now that the other Sins know it, it's not, nor will it ever be misconstrued as insubordination." Far too many hours had gone by since he'd tasted her, and Meliodas could stand it no longer. He descended onto her lips and delved his tongue deeply, gladly swallowing his lover's pleased moan. With his chest pleasantly pressed against her bosom, he finally released her and huffed out, "Not insubordination, just pillow talk."

Elizabeth acknowledged the fact that this, taking a lover thing, was going to take quite a bit of getting used to, but it was certainly going to be more than worth the effort. Ever since she'd admitted her love for this unpredictable demon, she'd, well, felt liberated. She smiled back at him, licking her lips. "Aye Captain."

A devilish smirk grew onto her beloved, she knew what calling him that did to him. Alas, she had been rather peeved at his teasing earlier, so that little bit there was payback from the Seduction Sin. With a smirk of her own, Elizabeth rolled to the side. "Good night, Captain."

She could hear the Sir Dragon purr, and slick his hand up to take a handful of her bosom. Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut and reminded herself to stay strong as her love whispered to her while his thumb teased the pert, sensitive center of her captured breast. "Going to sleep, Izzy?"

Willpower was one thing she would not let this incredibly sexy man steal from her—unless she wanted it stolen. Well, she sort of wanted it gone now... but, she'd told herself to stay strong. When in doubt, best to go with your original answer. She really had no idea how to handle a man, perhaps she should have a chat with Merlin. If anyone knew about manhandling, it would be her. Elizabeth quickly snatched his hand from her breast and held it prisoner under her chin. "Yes. It has been a long day."

Meliodas used his nose to brush the silky-soft hair from her neck and began placing sweet, lingering kisses there.

"Mmmmmmm... Captain... must I remove you from our room?" _Our room. That has a wonderful ring to it._

 _She finally said this was our room. I suppose I can count that as a win._ Meliodas chuckled and lovingly buried his face into her hair, knowing this woman would forever bring the best part of his beast forward. "Good night, Izzy. I love you."

Such a marvelous, magnificent way to end an evening. If only such splendid serenity was all the Fates had planned for the Tay'daishar and the Demon Lord. Alas, peace is an elusive and fickle mistress one is rarely blessed with to keep for long.

* * *

 **Interesting fact: My Stormie~Bae (Rainstorm2122) actually designed Izzy's tat. I'm hoping to get her to post it somewhere so others can see it—cuz I can't in good conscience post her beaUTIFUL art in my deviations. Become a deviant, Stormie! Stop hogging that lovely talent all to yourself!**

 **Again, thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows. I LOVE to lick all da lovely faces! Here's the promised...**

Ban: *picture quickly cuts to Fox Sin walking down a moonlit path, quietly singing Dead Man's Chest*

 **uh... conversation?**

Ban: *stops and silences*

 **Not now, damnit! I've got to put in the xtra dialogue! I was going to—**

Ban: Yo Lick, let's you and I have a chat...

 _ **Fuuuuuuuuuck...**_

Ban: *kicks at the ground* So about this whole Blaine thing. You DO ship that shit right?

 ***grumbles***

Ban: I've been good right? Goin along with the script... kinda at least. Heh, didn't even mention that big thing that's about to happen to spoil—

 **SHADDUP! How do you _KNOW_ that? I swear to the goddesses, if you ruin this fuckin story...**

Ban: *smiles broadly* There she is. Now listen, drop a dog a bone here, where the hell am I supposed to go to help out my pretty little Lamb Chop?

 **You know damn well that this is a Melizabeth story, not a Blaine. I need Elaine to stay right there in Avalon, and (much to my distress) you do too.**

Ban: Heh. Come on now Lick, you oughta know by now, that if I can steal shackles that were obviously from one of your other stories entirely... I'm not gonna give a damn about your precious 'grand plan' unless I get a little sumthin outta it.

 **Are you fucking kidding me? I already gave you your own special little bonus chapters! Check the reviews! IT'S THERE! You already got waaaaay more than any of the other Sins!**

Ban: Those? No way. That shit was rated T. T! Really Lick? You've never written a T rating and you save that shit for me? *folds arms* I'm not feelin the love here.

 **Fucking greedy bastard.**

Ban: Heh. Now. About that bone?

 **…...**

Ban: This path... looks like it leads into a forest. Ugh, reeks like brownies too. Maybe I'll go check that place out since the *fingers quotation marks spitefully* all mighty Fanfic goddess won't give a guy a break.

 **Wait... What?**

Ban: *Slips hands back into pockets, and starts humming 'A Pirate's Life for Me.'*

 **Uh... Ban? You, err, you still have Excalibur. GO GIVE EXCALIBER BACK**

Ban: Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me...

* * *

 **Only for you,  
** ** _Seriphia_  
** **aka  
** _ **Lick!**_

*~.㇩1㇩3㇩2.~*


	33. Fickle Paradise

**Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **GUYS!  
** **Guys, guys, guys, guys!  
** **The BettyDearest we all know and love made another ADORABLE piece of fanart!  
** **It's FANTASTIC, so check it out and leave her a comment! That stuff takes forever to draw, and she just illustrated a super sweet waterfall scene from this story!**

 **bettybest2(x)deviant  
** **art(x)com/art/Waterfalls-615614041**

 _ **Lickies!**_

 **BettyDearest** **: ROFL Diane's drawing, Oh Ban so DID have to tease her. Haha! And well, Imagine Meliodas going to check why Ban said Oops and not seeing anything wrong. Of course he had to! Bros b4 Hos *snicker* He had just kicked him into tables just a little before. XD Imagine what Ban could have done had he NOT played along! I hope you enjoy this chap, and again, TY TY TY SOSOSOSO MUCH FOR THE FANART! EEEEEEEeeeeee!  
** **Lakeya** **: Thanx! :D  
** **PippiEluLu : Daaaaw, I have missed the passion you always put in your reviews. Thanku Lulu! I loveies it so! *lick lick!*  
** **Yui : LOL! Hell yea Ban wants a bone! XD Ahhh... so we have another blush-addict eh? INTRIGUING information this is. And Izzy has been referenced to a cat before, so, why not? Hehe  
** **FlameDragonHime : Well... He is the Sin of Greed after all. It's just not in his blood to _willingly_ give up treasure. He very well could be considering putting it up in auction. Wouldn't be out of character...  
** **SassyKitty** **: T.T Ban treats me so bad and everyone's siding with him... oh woe is me!  
** **MalevolentMagician** **: Lol! It's the question that drives us! Who? Who? Who? Thanku so much for that! I super appreciate the readers AWESOME enough to enjoy this and some of my others.  
** **WhiteAngel** **: I will! I tell ya, you guys have been wonders with the terrible habit I've had all my life with starting a project and not finishing. This tail will continue to completion! I love you guys! *lick lick*  
** **Yojimbo** **: Oh,** _ **trust me Love,**_ **I have not forgotten the fish slap. Been waiting on the right time to strike!  
** **MyLuv** **: Yes, yes Luv, you are hilarious, hehe, now dun let it go to ure head! I so KNEW you'd complain about King having to hold the floor. XD Hey, it's what he's good for! LOL Load bearing fairy! *waits* Yup. Dun worry Luv, he's STILL being handy. ;p So now you'll think of me with both Abandon Ship AND Party Foul eh? SCORE!  
** **L-chan** **: Aye, I even made the joke that the lions were mad at the tigers, "I don't see them setting up a face paint station in front of our cages. WTF! King of the jungle over here!" XD At least I made the weirdo next to me laugh (hubby) as others simply eyed the crazy woman giving a voice for the lions. And as for your question... Queen's wish? What, for some Kiane? (KingxDiane?) We don't know WHAT'S going on there—Diane will never answer! She just keeps... running away!  
** **Stormie** **: SPEECHLESS? My Stormie?! Nonono, that can't be right. WTF HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY STORMIE-BAE! Imma killa bitch!  
** **TheCrazyPrincess** **: We have reached the point to goosebumps! YAAS! I'm just gonna lick you and ATTEMPT at humble. Ty, ty! :D  
** **YueChama** **: YAAAAY! Wait, is that a yay? Meh, I'm gonna take it as a yay, ^.^ YAAAY!  
** **ScarletLoveliness** **: You are just so sweet. :) I lick your face many, many times. Thank you so much for your constant support, you never fail to make my night/morning.  
** **DGMSilver** **: I certainly see the appeal to a badass Izzy. :D**

 **Much love and licks! Thank you so much for your continuous support.  
** **This fandom is sosososo wonderful!  
** **How could one ever stop their lust for writing with so many glorious, lickable lovelies?**

 **-.㈳3.-**

* * *

Fickle Paradise

 _Dear Elizabeth._

 _Considering the high pitched, panicked voice you practically oozed all over your letter, I can only assume things have not been as great as you seemed to have made them out to be during your far too brief of visit. This being the case, I have sent you aid via those two new graduates of the archer's guild you seem so fond of. Keep them close, I am sure they'll do more to protect you that any of the riffraff you seem to desire affiliation with these days._

 _And as for the seals under my charge, unless that blasted demon lord manhandled them in some terribly covert way that has_ somehow _managed to elude me, they are fine. More than fine. After a careful once over, I suspect they have only grown more powerful over time, not even a hint of your... fraying. You should concern yourself more with the seals charged with that human king and fairy, Sin of Sloth... was it? Horrible title for one of the three keepers. Does nothing for moral._

 _Your sister sends her love, and I suppose I should too, however I am still mad at you. Thinking over things now, I really don't feel as though we've had quite enough dialogue on that whole 'running away' fiasco. Oh, and it would seem Margaret has taken a fondness for mysterious as well, for she said it was imperative that I remind you to remember your studies on both light and dark magics._

 _For that matter, why don't you just recall all your studies. Especially the part where you are a princess first? When are you going to come home? That Siren Sin of Seduction title is fancy and all but you need to return to your obligations. Those horrible drows keep testing our defenses and it's getting bothersome really. They should just drag their feet back to the hole they crawled out of and admit defeat._

 _And before you say anything, yes I remember Father's talks about not underestimating the enemy. If Hendrickson is so fearsome, he should woman up and challenge the Battle Queen and put an end to this feud once and for all._

 _Allow me to reiterate:  
_ _King and country  
_ _BEFORE  
_ _Playing knight._

 _Keeper of the Seals,  
_ _Your loving, yet frustrated sister,  
_ _Queen Veronica._

Elizabeth frowned at a certain bit of her sister's letter that continued to nag ever since she read the words. _They should just drag their feet back to the hole they crawled out of._ Even though she knew Veronica did not know she was half drow, those words stung. It would be Margaret that knew, since she now held the memories of kings' past. Why must woodland and drows fight? Both civilizations were so similar that there was no reason they could not both simply be the same kingdom.

 _And your best chance of making such a thing happen would have been to stay home, and allow yourself to be married off._

Had that been what her father was considering when he was entertaining the idea of marriage? Perhaps she could have been more than a trophy wife; perhaps she could have become the missing link in bringing an end to the constant bickering between light and dark elfkin over the ages.

And perhaps she could have learned to breath underwater.

Leaving Sir Meliodas simply wasn't an option. There could be a chance that Sir Ban's Sin of Greed would better fit her, for she was in no way willing, possibly even capable of leaving Sir Meliodas to get snatched up by some other woman. He'd said he loved her, and she was far too stingy to just let that go.

Therein leaves her people with the same problem, though. Neither the deranged Drow King or Prince Hendrickson were about to start pulling their punches. Prince Hendrickson had even gone so far as to attempt to kidnap her... twice! And to such a degree as to scare some of his best soldiers to desertion when they'd failed their objective? Elizabeth was quickly growing a headache.

The voice of her bed mate startled her from where she laid on her side, staring at her sister's letter. "Now that is a look that says, 'I'm thinking way too much this early in the morning.'"

Elizabeth's initial jump had rocked her lover's side of the mattress and was accompanied by the handsome sound of his chuckle. Completely unaware of the blush immediately shooting up from her chin to the top of her head (even stretching to the pointed end of her long ears), she turned to see him laying on his side next to her with eyes wide open as though he'd been awake for a while now.

She'd accidentally woken Hawk when she'd gotten up earlier to find the letter from her sister, she supposed it could have woken Meliodas too. Unlike Meliodas though, Hawk had had the decency to let her know, and even given her privacy to read her letter in peace.

 _Well, Sir Meliodas had let me read it too... Goddesses! How long has he been awake?!  
_ "Oh! Sir Meliodas! I'm sorry, did, did I wake you?"

"Nope. The wonderful dream I was having did." As Elizabeth's flush only deepened, the demon lord thought for a moment, rolling his eyes upward before grinning and setting her back in his sights. "Dream Elizabeth is pretty naughty."

The princess' eyes widened, but didn't make too hard of a effort to keep the budding smile from creeping onto her red face as she folded the edge of his pillow over his eyes, "Sir Meliodas! You keep me out of those terrible dreams!"

Like the naive little elf girl she was, her ears lowered with curiosity when she couldn't hear his response, muffled into the pillow and all. So she pulled it back, "What was that Sir Mel-Eek!"

Meliodas had had a grin on his face before she pulled the pillow back away and it only broadened by how quickly she'd released its hold. Oh well, she'd learn. As soon as he was freed, the knight rolled on top of her and pinned both her wrists next to her head and chuckled again. "Well, if I can't letcha do that stuff in my dreams, then I guess we'll just have to start doing that sorta stuff here."

"Sir Meliodas!" This was the first time he'd had her like this that her blush actually began fading instead of rising.

His grin seemed all canines as he corrected her again, "Call me captain."

Elizabeth's light struggling became more pronounced as she displayed her flexibility to easily lift her leg in the small space there was between them to plant her foot right on his chest with a coy answer of but one word, "No!" And shoved him off of her—and off of the bed entirely.

She winced when she heard him hit the ground, how could that have pushed him so far? Elizabeth blinked with confusion as there were no more noises, and no more Meliodas. Thus, again, the innocent, sweet princess got to all fours and crawled to the edge of the bed, with the intent of apologizing.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Just as soon as that head of silver hair peeked over the bed's rim, the sneaky demon wrapped his hands around her shoulders and pulled her to the floor with him, landing on his back and happily moving both his hands to take a bountiful squeeze her firm, yet presently soft rear.

Her response to his actions this time were drastically different than the other, many times he'd tried stunts like this. Elizabeth moaned out in pleasure, making the captain acutely aware of the extra weight she added to his groin. She had landed on him with both her forearms propping her up on his chest, and (with much joviality) he also noticed how slack her silk nightie was. His eyes drifted down to the generous portion of cleavage his perspective granted and his fingers, full with a southern bounty twitched for more. However, he hadn't lived this long by taking more than his fair share, so he contented himself right where he was—and certainly where Elizabeth was—and smiled out a, "Hi there!"

Through a infuriating fresh blush, Elizabeth huffed and began to get up, but his hands remained firm. His idea was to try to keep her there, huh? The elven princess looked down into his dark green eyes filled with confidence just as hers laced with a little hint of mischief of her own. She shifted her weight slightly so that her breasts nearly spilled out of her nightie and onto his chest, cooing, "Oh Meliodas..."

"Elizabeth," he whispered back, bringing a hand to the back of her head while lifting his. He needed to taste her lips again, needed it more than he needed water or air.

However, his lips only got to graze over her cheek, for Elizabeth dodged his affections by leaning over more and biting his neck.

She'd meant to punish him for keeping her after she'd tried to go—seemed like something Merlin would think of... but that's not how it worked out. At all. The knight under her arched his back and moaned, _loudly,_ and instinctively brought both his hands to her waist. He held her there with a tight grip, almost too tight, which brought his lover a squeak and an unintentional early release to skin she found intensely satisfying to hold between her teeth. With a twitch of his arm, Meliodas was able to bring her forehead back to his, and he stared at her as she stared right back. The hunger in his eyes was plain to see, and the lust he saw in hers only made it worse. The Dragon Sin sacrificed one of the hands holding a secure grip on her hip to caress her cheek, "Izzy... How are ya feeling?"

Elizabeth spawned a smile far too similar to one of the Boar Sin's as she coyly responded, "Like I should call Sir Hawk in here."

The princess was feeling shy? After _biting_ him? Goddesses but Meliodas couldn't get enough of this woman. He smiled in good humor, his eyes slowly fading to light green again. "That's playing dirty."

"Aye Captain, and I learned much of it from your own hands-on approach."

A devilish grin manifested on his lips, "Oh, there's still a lot more I can teach ya."

"I'm about to call him..."

"Especially about how to play dirty."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to call Hawk, and Meliodas quickly pecked her lips to shush her, then removed his hands like a good Dragon Sin.  
 _I can wait._

 _^.~_

"What will we do with a drunken sailor  
What will we do with a drunken sailor  
What will we do with a drunken sailor,  
Early in the morning."

And then there was Ban, going against everything his author planned for him and walking into the forest north of the city—several chapters too early. Alas, even though the Fox Sin went against the proper order of things, the author bestowed upon him mercy.

"Way hay, up she rises  
Way hay, up she rises  
Early in the morning."

For it would be nothing to her to simply type out that not only a hurricane uprooted trees to bear such havoc on him that there was nothing left of him but ideally tenderized food for the insects; it would also be within the Lick's power to bring ravenous creatures of all shapes and sizes to rain down on him all at once to feast on his flesh. And, and they'd have rabies too.

"Shave his belly with a rusty razor  
Shave his belly with a rusty razor  
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,  
Early in the morning."

But, did the author of this tale do any of that? No. No. Ban's jaunt through the northern forest was nothing but serene. What with the birds singing, and the sun shining infinite rays of light to filter between the plethora of leaves.

"Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter  
Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter  
Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter,  
Early in the morning."

...In fact, things were _so_ peaceful, that there really wasn't any reason at _all_ why Ban the Undead shouldn't just... _turn around._

A lip curled on the Fox Sin's face as he finished his song, sung poorly, by the way—and out of proper order:

"Way hay, up she rises  
Way hay, up she rises  
Early in the morning."

The spiky haired plague to mankind stopped at the foot of a calm river blocking his path. With a slight scuffling of boots, Ban turned to walk alongside the waters, humming the same song he'd just sung. That is... until a little guy, about the size of a fair maiden's hand stabbed right through said boot with a sword the size of a toothpick.

It was only natural for the Sin of Greed to assume he'd merely stepped into a patch of cacti, thus, he grunted at the pain and lifted his foot. He bent his leg awkwardly and inspected his shoe, but there were no thorns to pull out. A frown consumed his lips as he considered the chances that it was _not_ a cactus when pain shot up the back of his calf from another prick.

As Ban fell backwards onto his back, he heard a faint voice call out, "Aha! Have at you, fiend!"

He rubbed his head and moaned, "Damn, guess this is the part where I gotta do shit huh?" A white brow raised as he felt something crawl up his side and walk onto his chest triumphantly.

"I claim this beast for my lady! This will feed her for days!"

"The hell...?"

The tiny man was dressed in some sort of fur, and he raised his sword to point at Ban's nose when his small comment had rumbled the 'ground' where the little man stood. "Ahh! Still not dead eh? Well I shall I _strike again!_ " And he did, quickly taking a merciless swipe at the Fox Sin's nose.

More out of instinct than anything else, Ban cried out his complaint (rather girlishly if anyone has the decently to ask me) and sat up, sending the minuscule man screaming and tumbling down onto his lap while he held a nose quickly being patched up to just leave a stripe of blood across it.

"AHHHHHHHH! I have fallen into the horrible eternal stench of FUPA! Aggggg!"

"Hey!" Ban frowned, standing up quickly get the little guy off of him, "there is _no_ stench down there!"

"Aye my stinky adversary, and my skin is blue!"

 _Oh I'll make it blue,_ Ban's eyebrow twitched at the bothersome brownie and yelped when it once again took a swipe at his leg. "Hey! Quit making holes in my pants, damnit!" He jumped back from the creature's next attack, then faltered, did a little bit of flailing... and tumbled right into the river's shallows. He glared at the miniature man, "Shouldn't have done that little guy."

"Taking a bath won't help with that stench, now quit running away so I can feed ya to my lady!"

The Fox Sin frowned, watching the water carefully while also keeping a wary eye on the little man, "I suppose I could survive being eaten, but there's only one chick I wanna be inside, so... polite pass."

The brownie snickered as he pulled out the crossbow he had strapped to his back, "Nothing will save you! Ahahaha!" He quickly shot three, slightly smaller than a toothpick, crossbow bolts at him, all stabbing Ban in the face, one just below the eye, another in his left cheek, and the last one flew right into his nostril.

Ban grabbed his nose (which did nothing but further the pain), "Aaag! _SHIT!_ "

"HAHAHAHA!" The brownie was quickly reloading his crossbow.

"That does it. I don't care if you're not even King-sized," the Sin of Greed growled, not even taking the time to laugh at his joke, "I'm gonna have to beat you into next week."

The brownie grinned broadly with his crossbow pointed at Ban again, "All paths lead to my lady, there is no where you can go to escape."

"Escape?" Now Ban took a turn at laughing, and what a merry laugh it was! "You think I want to, hah... hahahah, Oh that's rich!"

The tiny man was angered by the Sin's sudden giddiness and opened fire, but before the bolts could reach their target, the Fox Sin swiped a hand into the water, stealing a fish from its travels that he'd spied earlier. With a broad smile of his own, Ban caught every tiny crossbow bolt with it and lunged forward and slammed the skewered swimmer right into the brownie, sending him and the slippery fish far, far away.

Once the miniature man's wails faded from earshot, Ban's smile curled to a downward angle as he set his hands onto his hips. "Damn. I was gonna eat that fish."

He stood there for a minute, possibly contemplating if it was worth the trip to retrieve it before sighing. Taking a glance back at the water, he walked out of the river, grimacing at the squishing sound his boots were plagued with. "Fuckin' brownies. I knew this forest sucked."

A few deep breaths helped return his lips' foxy curl. "Now... little dude mentioned something about all paths leading to a lady? Heh... Hang on Elaine, got a feeling you wouldn't mind a little brownie takin' your place if it means I can get her away from that guy."

^.~

After Gowther's report of the Guinevere twins' steadfast vigil of protecting the drow's new home in Camelot, Elizabeth had been more than happy to give them back their bows—with a warning that she'd take them for much longer next time. Perhaps even have Tay'moraad bury them.

Now the three elves rode their stags along with a company of soldiers, of which included Lady Merlin and Horsemaster Nimue. The both of them were on colts nearing the end of their training. Nimue had called this their final exam, and Elizabeth was more than happy to have them tag along.

At first she'd been surprised that Meliodas hadn't insisted on coming, but she supposed he had his reasons. Besides, she was a full Sin now, she'd have to make sure that damsel in distress nonsense stopped. The Siren Sin of Seduction was a knight of what Arthur had begun to call the round table, and her first assignment was to learn the rounds other soldiers would do everyday.

It felt so wonderful to be out in the open fields, astride Tay'moraad again. Lara and Aral had gone out scouting ahead on their stags while she marched with Merlin. The horse the mage rode tried to nip at her moonstag once, and only once. All she heard was a snort from Tay'moraad... but the horse whinnied and shied away, causing Elizabeth a giggle and Merlin a knowing smile pointed at the intelligent blue eyes of the crowned creature.

The princess of Liones could not help but wonder if every heart that had found love felt this light. Colors were brighter, the air more refreshing... Elizabeth was happier than she'd ever been. Alas, if only she'd had some wood to knock on after thinking to herself:

 _Not a thing could possibly ruin such a wonderful day._

^.~

"Put him in a longboat til he's sober  
Put him in a longboat til he's sober  
Put him in a longboat til he's sober,  
Early in the morning."

True to the little sword slinger's word, eventually the Sin of Greed's leisurely walk led him to a dilapidated old hut. The only thing that convinced him that someone even lived there at all was that the half collapsed chimney had smoke coming from it. Ban rested his hands on his hips and looked at the building with a low whistle thinking, _Oh yea, I can feel it. Whoever's in there would definitely qualify. And from the looks of it—they wouldn't mind a little career change._

Completely ignoring the ominous feeling that went hand in hand with the aura he felt within those walls in favor of his own desire for quest completion, the Sin of Greed walked right to the front door. As he wondered whether knocking was appropriate, he heard a whispering voice say, "My my, come in dear man, you are soaked. Come warm yourself by my fire."

Nice! No knocking required. Ban's smile curled as he pulled the door open, unintentionally pulling the knob from it. Well, at least it opened the door first. Upon entering, he laid eyes on a gorgeous creature of the female sex. Eloquently dressed in a festive red with so much purple embroidery it made the long gown favor more of the violet color than the red. Her sleeves were tight, accenting slender arms with fingers painted a deep black to match the raven colored hair that fell down past her low neckline. Her lips were painted a luscious yet misty pink and Ban knew from the moment he'd looked upon her that this woman was not, nor had ever been a human.

The Fox Sin took a long look at her, considering how he might approach the subject. This woman wasn't just going to be handed to him in a bottle like his last attempt. Besides, apparently replacing Elaine was going to have to be... _consensual._ That word was really starting to grate on his nerves.

"Would you like some tea, Sir Knight?" Did this chick whisper every time she talked? He certainly didn't have trouble hearing her despite the fact. She smiled contently at him as she brushed past him to a musty, old stove that he noted she lit with a small wisp of power instead of by lighting it normally. Damn thing probably didn't work. "I simply cannot believe how a woman, such as myself, living secluded here in the forest has been granted so many visitors lately!" She turned from pouring tea into two, small ceramic cups and walked back to the Sin silently regarding the woman. Though she was small for a chick, she was no brownie—not even a fairy. Exactly what species was she?

Whatever she was, there wasn't much difference being secluded here versus in a lake, right?

No difference whatsoever.

His brow quirked as he took the cup she handed him and smelled it. Huh. Cinnamon. Very homey. "So... you live alone?"

She smiled those lips at him and, did she, bat her lashes? "Yes, I do not care for the business that goes along with city life."

"Heh." Ban had no fear of what a stranger might try to feed him. He drank deep from his cup, the warm tea sliding down his throat and warming him much like a heated blanket.

"What do you do around here then?"

As though he'd asked the very question she waited for, her smile deepened as she tilted her head and set her drink down, untouched. "I fix problems. Weary travelers sometimes seek me out when they are at their wit's end. Most do not even know they are coming until they see my... modest home."

 _Modest. Heh, more like dump. The tea's good and all, but has she ever heard of a broom? There's like a dozen season's worth of leaves coating this floor.  
_ _Yup. She needs a Grizzly Sin to do some housecleaning. Heh, he thinks he's so handy._

"So..." Ban's smile never wavered, "does that mean I have a problem?"

"Do you?"

Too impatient to dance with words, Ban cut to the chase. "Need a Lady of the Lake. So I'm gonna need you to come with me, that is, if you _really_ solve problems."

"Alas, I cannot do what you ask... however." The woman's beauty lit her face as true happiness made it glow, "I am certain it was fate that guided you to visit me, for I _do_ have what you need... and you just so happen to have what is needed to set her free."

The Fox Sin frowned, placed his cup on the wall's nearby mantle and folded his arms, "Seems a little too good to be true. What's in it for you?"

The woman chuckled, and motioned to the very mantle he'd just set his cup above the fireplace on. There sat a crystal cube with ornately carved runes bordering every corner. Within it flowed a sort of shimmering water he'd just chalked up as glitter. One of the only fancy things in the whole place, so it had caught his eye early. Once and bandit, always a bandit and all that.

"What you see there, has been my ongoing quest, though my travels have proved fruitless and eventually I simply cast an incantation upon my humble home so that whomever I may need would eventually find me."

She paused, but Ban simply continued looking into the cube. Somehow for something so small, the water within looked deeper than the ocean.

So the woman simply continued, her whisper a pitch higher in joy of a task possibly coming to an end. "With but a single act, you can not only solve the very problem you seek an answer for—but also offer my payment in freeing my beloved sister." She paused again, her lips curling a touch towards sinister now that the knight was not looking. "What you see there, trapped for far too long, _is_ the Lady of the Lake. The very soul I have devoted much of my long life to free so that she may return to her sacred duty."

Her expression reverted back to hopeful when Ban's pupils drifted back to her. This was just too good to be true. "I heard that the Lady was destroyed by none other than that Mab person."

"...It takes much to erase a creature such as we. She did believe her to be gone—and I certainly did not desire to correct such a belief."

"Makes sense." The Sin of Greed looked back to the cube. "So you said I had something that could get her outta there?"

The woman's dark hair shivered along with her body in anticipation as she rose her arm to point over his shoulder, "That very sword you have strapped to your back. Very few artifacts of old are capable of shattering such a thing as this... but that sword... I can feel that it has what it takes."

This rose Ban's smile back into its rightful place. _I knew it wasn't time to give the kid back his sword..._

"So you're saying, that by breaking this little thing here... I'll set your sister free _and_ get my Lady of the Lake?"

A hint of impatience edged into her voice, "Yes."

The Fox Sin's smirk broadened, "So we'll be even."

"Yeess." The being sounded like a serpent as she tasted each letter but that did not matter in the slightest to the Sin of Greed. With a single use of Excalibur he would return the original Lady of the Lake, thus freeing his Lamb Chop, surely appeasing her requirements and those stuffy Ascendeds' stipulations.

He'd finally have Elaine free.

The thought possessed him as he pulled the sacred blade from its roost on his back. Yes. Everything was looking up, and it was all thanks to not listening to anyone but his own gut. As he rose the sword above his head, the blade sliced through the wind with ease and shot tingles up his spine.  
 _Yea yea, dumb sword. I know you're not mine... just borrowing you. Just this once._

"Heh. Using a sword isn't usually my style, but I'm nothing if not flexible." The Sin of Greed spoke more to himself than to the woman waiting next to him as he held the sword up high over his head.

 _This is it._

^.~

Elizabeth was learning much about the land surrounding Camelot in her journey. All the soldiers were complacently riding along, friendly and eager to answer any questions she had.

Then, at the very moment her smile turned back to Merlin, riding alongside Nimue, both their eyes widened at once. The change in the wind was far too simple to feel.

Off in the distance, Lara was riding up fast, her curly locks flowing behind her much like an elven flag. She held her bow with one hand as the other was wrapped firmly around her doe's neck to stay astride, running at such speeds. All in Elizabeth's company turned to her quick approach as she called for her princess.

With her mount's impressive breaks, she stopped right in front of them and pointed to the distance. In worried huffs, she exclaimed, "Soldiers! Humans and drows alike! They are coming!"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. So the Alliance of Mists were finally making their move? And something so brazen as simply marching straight to Camelot's doors? The Siren Sin's voice rang true when she asked, "Where is Aral?"

"He's watching them. As the faster rider I came to tell you."

"Embrace your speed well, Lara." Elizabeth said assertively, "for now you must make haste to the city and call them to arms. Go straight to the king with this news."

Lara nodded, and Elizabeth felt pride for her newest guild mate's confidence. "Aye, consider it done."

Elizabeth noted Merlin's smile and felt another warmth fill her cheeks as Lara was swept away by Tay'jani. Her fellow Sin approved her quickness to order Lara to spread the news, and surely waited to see what Elizabeth would order next.

The princess patted Tay'moraad's neck as she said, "Well, what are we waiting for?" Her gaze fell to the soldiers in their company and held her own, nameless bow up into the air. "We are charged with keeping the kingdom safe, yes?"

All the soldiers cheered, and together they rode onward to meet up with Aral.

^.~

King drifted next to the shrunken giantess, shopping for a few necessities they needed since the roof had so mysteriously collapsed, tainting much of the consumables that were not safely tucked into the kitchen or walk in. Thus, Chastiefol was laden down with much alcohol to replace that which had been shattered. The Sin of Sloth was thoroughly enjoying listening to Diane prattle on about the new liquors the captain would certainly be happy to try, which eventually digressed to when that lazy Ban would ever decide that the wine they'd made would be ready for drinking.

King cherished every word she shared with him and reviled in the day's wonderful atmosphere. Camelot was a wonderful place to finally ask his love the question he'd been wishing the courage to ask for so very long now.

Then, there was pain. Immense agony pummeling into the very line of his sanity. A constant barrage of wave after wave. His vision was robbed, and his sense of balance gone. He couldn't even feel the hands he dug into his hair as he clutched his head in desperation to make the onslaught stop. If the fairy cried out, he did not know. So much pain whisking all of his senses from him possessed every part of what made him, himself.

Utter merciless banging, bending his mind to the point of snapping. King feared he was not strong enough to withstand it. Before his eyes, the seals he'd held safe for so long were bending under such gargantuan pressure... they were about to snap.

And it felt as though he'd break in half right along with them.

* * *

 **Just to be sure, please be well aware that the song Ban sung was just another old pirate diddy. I did not write it. :)**

 **Heeeeeeere's you lil sumthin extra! (TOTALLY ruining the dramatic effect, btw. lol)**

* * *

 **Hawk:** *wakes up at the foot of Ban's bed in the upstairs bedroom* Huh? Wha?

Hawk: *looks around, realizing that things were way too quiet for the sun to be showing it as midday* Where is everybody? For that matter—why in the world did I sleep for so long?!

Hawk: *shivers run up spine remembering how Gowther sedated him before* Damn that Meliodas... wait, no.

Hawk: *thinks for a moment* No... that can't be right. Elizabeth woke me up this morning. Naah. I was just really tired is all. Those two have got me wound up so tight.

Hawk: Whew.

Hawk: *stands and stretches as Meliodas sneaks in from the window and squats behind pig with a terribly happy smirk*

Hawk: Wooow. A little time to myself huh? This is great! I think I'll have a snack before Meliodas has to give me half his dinner today. CRAP! I wonder if I slept right through lunch?

Hawk: Awww. I miss Ban. *sighs as he slowly begins clomping downstairs, Meliodas still following him*

Hawk: I hope Diane's keeping an eye on that guy. Never know what he might try with Elizabeth now.

Meliodas: *finally speaks, bending over to talk right into his ear* What sorta stuff do you _think_ I should try?

Hawk: _EEEEEK!_ *twirls around and makes like tenderized pork, falling down the stairs*

Meliodas: *jumps down to squat next to the pig again* Gee Hawk, high strung, and talking to yourself? You alright, buddy?

Hawk: You're so mean... eeerk.

Meliodas: *blinks* Soooo... does this mean you're not good for lunch then?

Hawk: *twitch twitch*

Mamma Pig: *laughs inwardly, loving to listen when her baby boy and best friend play*

* * *

 **Just for you**

 _ **Seriphia  
**_ **aka  
** _ **Lick**_

 ***~.㈎8.~***


	34. Pandemonium

**Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 _ **Lickies!  
**_ **FlameDragonHime : We all deal with stress and grief differently, and we all know Veronica's not the most graceful of women when emotions are put out for everyone to see. We'll figure it out.  
** **SassyKitty** **: T.T *whimpers* I cannot control my Fox Sin... I have failed in my divine Licky powers.  
** **Yurika!** **T.T IT WASN'T ME! I TOLD Ban to stay out of the forest! I told him to give back Excalibur! The man won't LISTEN! *whines* Life is too short for this sort of aggrivation!  
** **BettyDearest** **: Haha! Too good to be true seems to be incomprehendable to those ruled by greed! Let's see what sort of mess he's made for our Sins this time. LUV YOU!  
** **YueChama** **: yes, for SHAME Ban! SHAAAAAME! Hang in there King!  
** **Yui : XD Not so soon but, it's finally arrived Yui-chan!  
** **LisaDA** **: Awwwww! You touch my heart in so many ways... lemme lick you! *lick lick lick!*  
** **MyLuv** **: Maaaaaaaaybe it's just an added bonus. King's tough, he'll be alright—hopefully. And YES! Let's see more of that Dream Izzy! Yaaaaaay! The brownie! HAH! You are the ONLY person to comment on that little troll. XD That guy was fun! (not so sure Ban would agree, hehe!)  
** **L-chan** **: Hahaha! Sure, when he's not being an ass. XD But I'm pretty bitchy too, so we call it a draw a lot. And as for the King and Diane thing... HMMM, my lips are sealed!  
** **Stormie** **: T.T I tried! That Fox has a mind of his own! *whines* oh man... let's not get into that lil wasp's nest of the family's discovery of a certain Exvirgin... and yes... the Kings in our lives are kiiinda getting the shaft... eh heh...  
** **SheWolf** **: Maaaaaaybeee... war has a brazen effect on even the most shy of princesses... ;D  
** **EarthenKnight : Agggg! The WHOLE story! XD That had to have taken forever! Damn but this thing is getting long! Not my fault... ah hah hah... Heyheyhey! I MISSED YOU! *lick lick!*ol  
** **Dea** **: XD! ADULTING SUX! I missed you GURLIE! I heart and lick ure face a million times over—and tomorrow Imma do it all over again! And as for your questions? I cannot answer... ANY OF THEM! But I still love you. :p  
** **OtakuGurl** **: Thank you! I hope this is more bliss than torture! o.o;;**

 **Thank you for all of your support guys. Many apologizes for how long these chaps are taking me here lately... but this summer is fun! This weekend I'm gonna cosplay as everyone's favorite drunk—Cana Alberona from FairyTail! Pics will be put up on my thing that shows deviations. :D**

* * *

Pandemonium

" _What are you waiting for?"_

Elizabeth floated in a sea of darkness, no, it was more than that. If the nothing that she drifted in could be considered more, at least. The only thing she could see was an ambient light bordering the horizon no matter which way she turned. Her voice trembled as she hesitantly called out, "Who, who's there?"

" _Tay'daishar. Come home. You are meant for greatness! You are so much more than this life you think you are making for yourself."_

It chilled her to the bone, this feeling she had that this voice was somehow familiar. Elizabeth shook her head, "N-no! This is a dream! I must wake up! Something important is happening, why—"

" _You know why."_

The voice cut her off as though it knew the nonsense she had been about to ask. This wasn't right, she should not be here. Something important was happening and she was a part of it... at least she thought she'd been.

" _He will abandon you just as others you have loved. Do not cast aside your destiny for something so fickle. Tay'daishar! Return to where you belong and lead those cast into darkness to their glory. Come to me, come home."_

Suddenly the princess' arms were caught in long shackles far too familiar to a memory nagging at her subconscious. "No... _No, no. no!"_

The voice began to sound much more content as it drawled, " _Run all you want, little elfling. You'll discover where your feet will take you eventually. One cannot escape fate."_

 _^.~_

Once Meliodas and his long time partner of the sus variety had made a precarious peace with the new sleeping arrangements (yes he'd had give up more than just half his meals lest the porker be wrecked with his guilt of selling out), it was time to go find Ban—or better yet, Excalibur. He'd given that fox more than enough opportunities to return the blade and if he still hadn't seen it done, then it was time for the captain to take steps.

The blonde was dusting his shirt off as Hawk happily frolicked toward the pub's front doors with a basket in his mouth, muffling his voice. "Okay Meliodas! I'm gonna sniff out King and Diane and make sure they're not forgetting anything important! Gonna need a whole lotta quick mixes if we're stuck with our cook—ack!"

As he was prancing, the pig slammed right into an invisible barrier blocking his exit. With a snout much flatter, he slunk to the floor, "Ooooww..."

Meliodas looked up curiously from where he stood at the front of his bar, "Hawk?"

"...As if my bacon wasn't tenderized enough." Hawk started miserably with his head stuck in the basket. "Why did Merlin have to go and put a shield up!"

A frown came to the knight's face and he walked toward the door saying, "She didn't. Merlin would have told us." Taking a large step over the pig, he gently wrapped on the open doorway. Sure as he enjoyed naughty dream Elizabeth, there was a barrier preventing their departure. But how strong was it? He cupped his hand around his chin thoughtfully and examined the space before him. He searched for fluctuation of power, a ripple in its color... anything that might display a weakness.

"Well if it wasn't Merlin, then who was it! Is someone trying to trap us in here?!" Hawk bounced to his feet, letting the basket clatter to the floor and wriggled nervously, "Meliodas! What's happening?"

With a small frown, Meliodas tapped on the force field again. "I don't know, Hawk, but we'll figure it out."

^.~

The drows had not made an advance from their camp set at the edge of the Woodland Forest for over two days now and the entire kingdom had begun to jump at shadows because of it. So when their queen, who had remained cool and calm throughout the many skirmishes the drows had provoked in her short time as queen, grasped her head and fell to her knees in immense pain—those with her considered the worst of the worst.

But their worst was not half as bad as the truth. Veronica's knight's quick actions saw her to the closest medic station at their city's walls and doctors were crowding about her when Margaret arrived, casting the tent flap aside in her rush. Griamore stood from where he'd crouched by the mat their people had laid their queen on and searched the princess' eyes. "I don't, she just... the doctors don't—"

"There is nothing the doctors can do but see that she remains hydrated." Margaret's voice rang confident and true. "Go now, all of you. I must speak with my sister."

The doctors began to protest, but as the kind and gentle princess arched her brow and Gilthunder's appearance at the tent's entrance made her demand more commanding; they nodded and politely saw their way out. Griamore went to stand by the other knight when her gaze fell to him, and she finally fell to the ground near her sister, her queen, and held her hand tight. "Oh Veronica, I am so sorry but you must endure! I can feel it, Mab is beating at the seals with such devastating strength. You must fight it!"

Margaret's eyes were filled with worry at the fearful expression on her sister, the bravest living person she knew. Her breaths were ragged and she could tell that she stared but did not see.

"Sissssster..." Veronica rasped, "it hurts... I can't..."

The princess gripped her hand tightly, _"You can!_ Do not let fear rule you, defend your seals!"

Through a fleeting clarity, Veronica looked up at her sister with such regret that it made Margaret's heart ache. "Oh Izzy... I'm so sorry. Margaret, nnnugh! Tell her I'm sorry—that letter! I-I, I did not mean to sound so cruel!"

"Do not be afraid, Sister. You are strong and will be able to tell her yourself." Margaret closed her eyes and tried to sooth and strengthen her sister by embracing and sharing her gifts in holy magic. "To worry over someone else when you are so near the edge... focus on keeping the seals strong, and we will write Elizabeth together next time."

Both elves began glowing in low but vibrant gold. Margaret would be sure to give Veronica whatever added strength she may need—the seals _must_ hold!

^.~

The moment the Fox Sin of Greed crashed the holy sword into the cube, even an infant would have been able to feel the change in atmosphere. As the woman behind him began a low chuckle, a (for lack of a better word) whoosh of power rushed past Ban, sending him falling to the ground. A wave that was not water, yet appeared to be, swirled around him before fleeing out the shack's window as Excalibur clattered to the floor.

"Ugh..." Ban groaned, sitting up slowly. "Not much of a morning person, is she?" The powerful backlash from his attack on the cube had blasted his chest back into his spine. He felt like a deflated balloon. Not very nice if anyone bothered to ask.

Long black nails belonging to skin so fair it was unnatural took hold of the holy sword, slowly, one finger at a time. She'd been waiting far too long to take Excalibur to be rushed now that it was there for the taking. What was simple mirth just a moment ago escalated into complete mad cackling as she looked upon the sword she held with eyes equivalent to a mad scientist. "Finally..." She held the sword with one hand and began slowly moving her other up the length of the blade. Ban frowned as she continued as though she'd forgotten his presence. "With but the slightest bend to this pitiful keeper, I will be able to rip free from all three of them, what may have taken another week within this prison will see fruition in less than a candle mark! Yes!"

At the sight of her and the weight of her power beginning to put a curve to the sword that he was—ahrrm—babysitting, Ban knew he should probably begin cleaning up his mess. "That's enough of that, I think." With nothing more than a quick and unexpected use of his Snatch, Excalibur was in his hands again, shooting tingles all down his arm. The once pleasant looking woman now turned goth queen spun around to glare murderous intent at him, but all he returned was his curling fox grin. "Gotta give ya credit lady, not many put a fast one on me. But this thing kinda belongs to someone else so, yea, I'm gonna get outta here now." Was it wrong that he got immense pleasure out of seeing the surprise passing through her face over the fact that he was still alive?

 _...Nah._

"You fool!" She immediately splayed her fingers toward him and black orbs shot from all five fingers that the Fox Sin was quick to dodge. "That sword belongs to me! Unhand it at once!"

"Actually, this thing here is Arthur's, and I think it might be time to unload the damn thing on him. So... I'll be getting out of here now."

His exit wasn't quite what he'd wanted it to be, what with being forced to dodge many more magical projectiles on his way out—and her hiss-like curses weren't helping, either. Soon enough, however, he did make it out of the shack that was shaking as though the earth shook (it was a wonder that it was still standing) and had the bad graces to think that that was probably the way most chicks felt when dumped by the foxiest Sin of them all.

Just what exactly _had_ he set free? Even as it fled from the hut it had felt like the essence of water. He wasn't going to put any merit on what the woman had said about it being the original Lady of the Lake anymore, but he was still troubled as to what direction it was headed. How does one track airborne water?

^.~

With pale green locks surely hopelessly tangled, Lara ignored all the human protests as she raced through the castle astride Tay'jani. She'd only stopped once to inquire as to the king's whereabouts, and once she'd gotten a distinct location, people had to part to make room for her.

Once she turned the final corner, her partner knew now was not the time for subtly and reared up to burst the large double doors open. It was to her great relief to find the young king and group of his councilors looking up from where they'd been leaning over a round table, inspecting a detailed map the Goat Sin must have just delivered to them. She'd seen that guy up on the castle walls looking out the direction she'd just rode from. Why hadn't he sounded the alarm?

For that matter, why was this room full of humans staring at her like that...

…

 _Ohhhh, right... I just rode Tay'jani all through their castle... eh heh. My bad._

Despite the fact that they were untrained in the intelligence of moonstags, she had a message of dire importance. "Drows and humans, together! They march to Camelot!"

Even though the king of this country had only a small number of years in the world, his quick actions were impressive. After a respectful nod to her, he began issuing out orders without missing a breath. Others began dodging around where she sat atop Tay'jani to follow his commands, and the last thing he said was rounded back to her.

"Lara Guinevere, right? Do you know where the Sins are?"

"Weeeell, I know that Merlin and Izzy were out there with us, I mean, my brother and I... Oh! And, a whole bunch of your soldiers, but..." She put a finger to her chin, "not sure about the others... oh yea! And that Gowther guy was on the castle walls!"

A bright smile lit up more than just the kings eyes at word of the Goat Sin. "That's perfect!" He started to run, but stopped mid step as he began to run past her. The king looked up at her questionably, "I don't suppose I could ask for a ride?"

A grin edged onto the trouble maker's face. _Make a king cling to me for dear life? Sure! Sounds like something I oughta have on my bucket list!_ Lara reached her hand down to him, trying to keep the mischievous quality of her smile to herself, "Sure thing, Kingie!"

They clasped hands and he swung onto the stag's back with alarming dexterity—those in her kingdom had the bad habit to tend to stereotype human kings as: fat and lazy. Lara giggled as Arthur awkwardly wondered where to place his hands and said, "It's Arthur."

"Hehe, sure thing, Kingie," she repeated in a snicker before adding, "better hold on!" As Lara reared her playful stag to barrel through the castle again, the question of where to hold her was no longer there. Arthur simply yelped and clung to her waist lest he be thrown off.

^.~

" _I knew you'd end up just wasting your life away... puny lizard."_ The dark voice did more than surprise Meliodas, it filled him with a coldness he thought he'd cast away over a millenia ago. He quickly turned from a hole he'd made in his precious tavern to see if the barrier trapping Hawk and himself within surrounded more than just the doorway.

As his deep emerald eyes scanned the empty room, the sinister voice continued. _"Ha. Ha. Ha. Did you think yourself free of me boy?"_

A growl poured from Meliodas' grinding teeth, there was no desire to speak to the voice from his nightmares. The voice of his father.

Hawk walked up Meliodas, watching him with concern. "Meliodas? What's wrong?"

The Sin captain feared responding to this voice. Responding would be implying his belief that the voice was real... and that was a reality that he would never be willing to admit. It may have taken centuries, perhaps even ten of them, but eventually his father had given up the fight and left the seals empty.  
 _Yes. Now they hold Mab, and she's Merlin's problem._

No. Meliodas was free of his baggage. But as the voice began to list the many atrocities he'd committed in his father's name... it was growing harder and harder not to spit venomous words back like he had when he'd been captured and dragged back to be... disciplined for his desertion. Never again could his father anger him so. Not now that he was gone.

But it didn't feel like he was gone, while his voice approvingly listed off all the tasks Meliodas had accomplished for him with no resistance.

" _And now you have the Tay'daishar. Heh. Heh. Now that's my boy. Bring her home and make her your queen, your bitch, your own personal little whore. Whatever it is you kids are doing with your slaves these days. So long as you eat up all that delicious power, who cares what happens to whatever is left."_

That was too much. Real, not real, it didn't matter. No amount of hallucination or otherwise was going to speak of Elizabeth or his feelings for her in such a way. She was the light in his world of darkness, forever the flame burning brightly. Even raised in a world far from anything, Elizabeth had been able to see the good in a despicable sinner like him. _Nothing_ dishonorable about that woman would reach his ears and escape punishment. Especially not the demon king.

Hawk watched Meliodas look at nothing as shadows began to emit from his body. Taking an unconscious step back, he shook his head. "Mel-Mel-Meliodas? What's... wrong?" He must not be able to hear him! Is that this barrier's doing? Robbing Meliodas of his senses? What did he think he needed to fight to delve into his shadow arts like that? Did he even know he was still in the pub? Hawk shivered as he suddenly felt something slither around his leg colder than ice. His ears flew up and everything, it'd really shook his bacon!

Knowing his partner was off on another plane, getting crazy mad for some unknown reason—it was up to him to investigate! So while Meliodas' slowly reached up to grip his head, Hawk was sniffing around for an intruder. With all the shadows flicking around the Sin captain visibly trying to regain control, it was hard to see, but leave it to the snout of your local piggy hero to sort the confusing stuff out! When he noticed something near Meliodas that _wasn't_ a shadow, however, he'd kind of wished it had been.

As far as he could tell, it was a snake, taking its sweet time creeping onto his friend's foot. But it looked funny—not that he took the time to examine it or anything—it looked like the embodiment of every pit of darkness known to mankind.

So while Meliodas turned his head up to the ceiling, suddenly beginning to regain control, Hawk jumped toward the snake that started to creep up his partner's leg. The Sin captain grunted as the pig's weight forced his knee to bend, but Hawk wasn't concerned. The snake was flung back to the ground and hissed at the pig's affront, rearing its head up much like a king cobra. Its black scales shimmered in the light and Hawk showed a rare form of valor by rushing up to it with a enough stomping hooves to be confused with an entire stampede of little cloven shoes. The snake was surprisingly dexterous, dodging many of them, but eventually it laid flattened on the floor; oozing liquid shadow all over the wooden planked floor.

" _Eeeeeeeew!"_ Hawk leapt from the growing puddle and looked back up at his friend, breathing heavily through his nose and staring at the ceiling. The pig pressed his front hooves to his partner's chest, "wake up, Meliodas! Your pork would have been roasted without me—now come back so you can thank me!"

His shaking appeared to be rousing the demon from his daze, but both stopped when the Goat Sin's voice echoed in their minds.

::Testing? Testing. All Sins should be able to hear me. The king is here, preparing the castle's defenses, what is your status?::

::OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS!:: Diane's voice rang loud and clear, jarring Meliodas completely awake. His friend was screaming, terrified. ::It's King! Merlin! We need your help! I don't know what's wrong with King! He's just—::

Merlin interrupted quickly ::I wish I could, Diane, dear girl, but we're rather busy outside the walls. Gowther, as a part of the scouting group, we are currently holding invading forces at bay::

::But—wait, invading forces? _What about King?!_ ::

Gowther replied, ::Guila and Jericho are here as well, ready to defend. Your orders, Captain?::

Hawk had never been so relieved to see clarity return to his partner's eyes. Meliodas shook his head, slowly reclaiming his hold on what was real, versus fabrication. He spoke out loud, knowing his voice could carry to his comrades. "No. Tell the drow elves to bunker down. Do not let them engage. Diane, get King somewhere he will be safe. Where is Ban? Merlin, is Elizabeth still with you?"

The silence that followed gave more than Meliodas pause until Merlin finally said, ::She was with me, valorous to a fault... but... Captain—I have lost sight of her.::

" _WHAT?"_ Meliodas clutched to his fists tightly. He had to get out of here and protect what was most important to him! Even as he continued to issue out commands, the demon lord rammed into the invisible barrier with his shoulder and proceeded to beat at it with his bare fists. "Merlin, you will find Elizabeth at all costs and make sure she's safe until I get there. Gowther, I don't care what you have to do, but see that Jericho and Guila were never seen on the walls—and somebody find Ban!"

o.o;;

A cold sweat coated her pale skin as an explosion jarred her to consciousness. The sky blossomed in red and oranges, silhouetted by a friend she'd known for a long while.

Aral's long, pastel green hair wafted between to two of them as he hovered over her on all fours. He had taken the brunt of the spell flung at them. The cries of horses and the clang of steel could be heard everywhere. Elizabeth's eyes widened at the pained face of her beloved guild mate, "Aral!"

With a wince, he opened an eye down at her, "You took a pretty nasty fall, Izzy. Are you alright?"

Though he was obviously hurt, Aral had asked about her. The care in his voice swelled her heart and she smiled and nodded, "Aye, Archer. I am ready to persevere."

The young elf smiled, stood and offered her a hand. Once he yanked her to her feet, Elizabeth was relieved to see both Tay'moraad and Tay'yaon keeping the soldiers at bay. What had happened to her? The fellow archer near her reclaimed her attention when he put one of Camelot's helmets on. "Don't forget to cover your face, Izzy. We're not going to get out of here without making the raven stretch his wings."

Elizabeth nodded—but she had no mask with which to cover herself... She nibbled her lip worriedly as Aral shot an arrow that soared between his stag's antlers to fell an oncoming enemy. Then she yelped as she felt something push against her back. Elizabeth turned quickly to see the muzzle of Tay'moraad, motioning to the moonstag skull she'd liberated from the Fox Sin still strapped to her quiver. Of course! In an effort to keep from hesitating, Elizabeth nodded to her partner and pulled the skull to rest over her face. Once both archers had their faces shielded to protect them from the raven's error, the two nimble fighters of the realm of Liones leapt onto their partners and opened fire.

Soon their company of knights were pushed back to the city's walls, where Gowther and Lara commanded the archers efficiently while Arthur rode at the head of his soldiers awaiting for the gates' opening. Once it did, the pure city of Camelot would be bathed in the blood of soldiers from both sides. It saddened Arthur that this is what it had come to. He did not want to hold his brother trial for treason... but if Camelot's defenses held—that was exactly what he would have to do now that Kay had brought enemy forces right to his doors. It was his duty to uphold the law without favoritism. His brother would get no quarter.  
 _Don't think on that now. Think of the innocents I am charged to protect, that's all that matters right now._

 _o.o;;_

 _There it is!_

Finally! The treasure Merlin had asked her for was within her grasp. Over the centuries, it had sunk deep within the earth and Elaine had barely caught a glimmer as she drifted by in the deep depths of Avalon. The guardian stopped and peered into the tiny hole in the ground that opened up into an even deeper cavern. The water here was still and dark, very few fish ventured this deep. With a frown, Elaine considered a few possibilities for retrieving it. It went against her nature to damage the natural formations her waters had carved, so her best course of action was to devolve into water so she could flow through such a tiny entrance.

However... when she tried to melt... it didn't work. She couldn't...! What's worse, suddenly Elaine felt as though she struggled to breath. How can this be? She was one with the waters! A panicked hand reached to her plug her nose as the sensation of inhaling water stung and burned her insides. Fear slithered into the fairy's heart, _Too deep! I can't swim to the surface in time to breath!_

Fear escalated to hysteria when the waters she'd spent her second chance at life protecting betrayed her. Much like it was when the lake refused Ban to be within its depths, the water thickened and clumped around her. None of this made any sense! The Lake of Avalon should welcome her even if she wasn't the Lady of the Lake! She was a maiden, pure of heart. Yet here she was, in water that no longer felt warm and welcoming... longing for air as though she'd never been a part of these waters. Elaine was trapped and dying.

 _I'm... drowning. Ca-can't move! What is happening?_

Alone... so cold...

* * *

 **OMG You guys are awesome! Again with the thirteen, despite my tardiness. I lick your faces from chin to eyeball! Eeeeeeeeee! ㈴5  
** **I kinda wracked my brain trying to come up with the extra dialogue you thus earned... and kinda leeched into my plans for next chappie a bit—but, well... X.x it's all I got! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _*_ Meliodas bangs against the invisible barrier with his fists while Hawk sniffs around the tarvern*

Hawk: So what in the world happened to ya anyway, Meliodas? You were in a whole other world there for a sec.

Meliodas: *bangs against barrier*

Hawk: *waits for response and frowns when he gets no answer* Ya know, I saved your bacon while you were off in Lala Land! Ignoring me is a sorry way to thank me!

Meliodas: *keeps pounding away at the barrier, grunting from his exertion now*

Hawk: *looks over at where the snake's body had been, miserable that it had liquefied and sunk between the floorboards* There goes my proof of being a hero... *pouts*

Hawk: *sits down and watches Meliodas* Ya know, maybe there's another way to get outta here. If that thing can be broke, then it looks like you're gonna be pretty tired by the time it cracks.

Meliodas: *pounding at the barrier so hard at this point that the whole pub is shaking*

Hawk: *squeals when the entire place REALLY starts to shake, causing both pig and man to fall over* Uh oh... you've done it now Meliodas! Mama's mad!

Meliodas: *rolls over to wink at the ham* Ungrounding a barrier like this is just like dispelling it!

Hawk: *blinks* But didja have to make Mama mad?! She's scary when she's mad!

Meliodas: *sits up and grins* If what Merlin says is true, a mad Mama might be just what we need.

Hawk: *covers eyes with ears* Oh my gosh... we're so doomed!

Meliodas: *stands and starts walking out the front door of the now mobile building* Better see if you can get your mom to jump the castle wall, Hawk. Arthur may not be too happy if she rams through it with an army on the other side.

Hawk: Eeeeeeeek!

*A giant pig's version of a furious roar is heard all throughout the kingdom*

* * *

 **Just for you  
** _ **Seriphia  
**_ _ **aka  
**_ _ **Lick**_

 ***~.㈏6.~***


	35. Who will you live for?

**Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 _ **Love the lick, cuz the Lick loves you!**_

 **EllieK** **: *lick lick!* It's finally heeereee!  
** **Anand** **: Hahaha! Man! I knew that too! Suppose I was enjoying intoxicated Izzy a lil more than I should have! Treasure Island, and yes, I shall continue updating, but unfortunately I am unable to hold to the schedule I was initially trying to cling to. It's nice to meet you!  
** **AlexiaColette** **: X.x Tell my girls that... PLEASE~~! Ty! Preggers?! NEEEEEOOOOO! o.o;;  
** **KikyoLuvsU** **: Sorry for the wait!  
** **ScareletLovliness** **: Holy cow, an entire manga rendition of this story would be beyond amazing. I'm actually considering something kind of like a storybook thing for the Enter my FairyTail story... but I think it's all because I want to see Natsu as the mad hatter again, and again, and again and again. ^^;; You are FANGURLING?! OMG! *fans self* must not get fat head! As always, love ya gurl!  
** **SweetOblivion** **: I read your review during a pretty dark day, and your words really, really helped. Wow, I'm thanking you from the bottom of my heart because I really needed that unexpected boost. And nope, this story won't be abandoned, it will be completed. ...Eventually. :)  
** **Vhosek** **: Awwww! Well it's nice to meet you too! Yeeees, Luv and I are tight, two peas in a pod. At this point, I'd even go so far as to say meeting her was a turning point in my life. Cherish her, she's freakin fantastic—and so are you!  
** **OtakuGurl** **: It took FOREVER, I know, but I do hope it's worth the wait. Good grief, so much stuff is happening atm! It's like I accepted a dare that was just a little too much for me! o.o;;  
** **YuiLuv** **: Snake Sin Meliodas? Great, another thing for Diane to get all huffy about. She'd be all FEE FI FO FUM on that shit and squish a fool! *forgive me while I bust a gut at the thought* XD XD XD XD Kehehehehe, and you KNOW Arthur enjoyed that ride—DAMNIT. I LOVED the long review, it was the sweet to my candy, the rose to my blush. ❤  
** **Dea** **: LOL, I cannot begin to describe how fun it is to see so many people bitching at Ban after he RUINED my story. Oh Staaawp! It is EASY to luv me and you know it! We'll discuss WHY a few of the things in this chap happened at a later date. Atm, I want my readers to be a lil confused. ^.^ See? Easy to love the Lick!  
** **MalevolentMagician** **: Lol! Oh man, check BettyDearest's lickin—that guy is kinda focused on anything that might work at this point and getting a tad bit sloppy because of it. What a desperate man does while starving...  
** **Stormie~bae** **: XDDDD Damnit Ban. Oh god Stormie, that just says it all doesn't it. Rofl! Go Mama go!  
** **MyLuv** **: Banny stuff. *snicker* IKR! Goddesses but Arthur deserves a sweet elf too! Well, maybe not sweet but... you know. I think you may enjoy this chap Luv... ㈏0  
** **Yurika!** **Hahaha! Yea, wtg Ban! XD Lara's makin Lily mad? SwEEt! I'm gonna chalk that up as a good thing. *smiles innocently* Wooooo! Koala tea! Yaay! Tytyty!  
** **SassyKitty** **: LOOOOL! Yea... (just a bit)  
** **BettyDearest** **: Ikr! Hawk never gets enough recognition for the crap he goes through, lol! He really did! Ban needs to start thinking with that full brain of his, but he's kind of stuck with a one track mind right now and growing more impatient every minute. The guy needs his lady free to be with him like others need air to breath—it's overpowering his senses right now. *lick lick lick!*  
** **EarthenKnight : o.o Of course I remembered you! You're reviews are always a pleasure to read! Oh, oh! And cruel—is in the eyes of the beholder... ^.^  
** **FlameDragonHime : What oh what has happened to Elaine... Oh me oh my...  
** **Guest** **: You got it. ^.^**

 _ **Whew! My tongue feels all sandpaper~ery now. Your continued support is nothing short of legendary. Seriously, I will remember things like this even when I'm too old to use my fingers.**_

 _ **o.o CRAP! What is the dialogue going to be this time! Eeep! Imma brainstorm on that...**_

 **Alright guys... I REALLY hope that the adulting has simmered down since last I was able to put a chappie out—but I can (unfortunately) make no guarantees.**

 **HOWEVER, I did make a FaceBook for my pen name (Seriphia AkaLick) so I might have the opportunity to keep you informed of my progress as the struggle to find writing time continues. Lol, atm all the FB page has is my Cana cosplay pics—but it was a ton of fun! Feel free to take a look at the costume I worked so hard on. XD I gotta say, considering all the crap that has happened SINCE the con, I am damn glad I was able to get my ass TO the con... otherwise I might have lost my mind. Well, more so than usual anyway...**

 **Enough of my ramblings, thanks to all who actually bothered to read it, lol. Licks! Much licks!**

* * *

Who will you live for?

Surely the raven would stretch his wings this night. The clang of swords clashing was only amplified by magic lighting up the sky brighter than the sun. Drow wizards were keeping the Lady Merlin busy while Camelot's scouting party were hard pressed to keep the advancing forces of the Alliance of Mists from their families within the great city's walls.

Though two warriors were arguably outshining all others. Two elven archers darted in and out of many frays, cutting down the opposition so that their allies might tackle yet another enemy. Arrows sung through the afternoon air snatching the lives of drow and man alike. The sharp end of a well aimed arrow penetrated without remorse or mercy, and these projectiles were wielded by members of the finest archery guild in all the known realms to slip between plates of armor.

The two moonstags they rode atop ghosted through the battlefield, dancing on light feet well trained for what their riders must do. Behind masks, sharp eyes focused on their targets and let their arrows fly again and again. The jaws of human acrobats would only be able to fall agape in bewilderment if they could witness how the elven pair rode, spun, jumped and flipped atop their mounts so naturally... so deadly. The whistle of an arrow's flight would be the last thing many of their enemies would hear before they found themselves awaiting the raven's guidance to their eternal resting place.

With a booted foot planted between Tay'moorad's ears, the archer princess of Liones pierced the heart of another drow raising his blade to slay the soldier he'd viciously knocked from his horse. Just as she'd loosed the arrow, she flipped from her partner's back to avoid the swing of a sword aimed at her ankle. Before her feet were able to touch ground, her mighty stag swiveled and reared—furious at the soldier who dared attack his charge. Her eyes widened at the typically timid creature's aggressive reaction, and for the first time realized what she—and everyone else present—was doing.

It was horrible.

Crimson stained her beautiful stag's coat as he mercilessly pounded her assailant into the ground. His gleaming antlers bobbed two and fro as each hoof came down onto the soldier with deadly accuracy. Within the confines of the skull she wore as a mask, most of her peripherals were blocked, so the princess turned all about her to finally realize the devastation all around her.

Elves were dying.

By her hand or her allies, her kin, her brothers—were being slain. Drow, woodland, human, was the difference really worthy of so much bloodshed? Was the alliance the drow king had made with Sir Kay really worth such a heavy butcher's bill? Any elf as old as he must know how petty Kay was for refusing to accept the prophecy Arthur's actions had fulfilled to be named the true king. And why exactly had he spared so many from his conquest of her kingdom to attack a place she was sure he had no interest in? Despite all the questions swimming about her head, Elizabeth suddenly felt dirty. They were all nothing more than pawns in Prince Hendrickson's schemes, she just knew it. Though she'd thought she'd known what the face of war was, abruptly, it had turned into a horrible realization that her arrows were piercing something more than her next meal.

 _I don't like killing._

Meliodas' voice rang in her ear as if he were right beside her. She'd never killed before, and now... why was she doing it? To protect land? A king? Her life? She couldn't be sure in the heat of battle like this, what did it really matter? No! Of course it mattered! People were dying on what had began as a beautiful day.

She had to find a way to stop this before Sir Meliodas joined the fray; she was sure he would. He did not like killing, and Elizabeth could not bear the thought of him doing so now.

Elizabeth kicked an advancing soldier from her half-heartedly as she swung herself back onto Tay'moraad's back. Her majestic mount seemed to sense her hesitation and danced on eager feet, curious to her motives. Unbeknownst to her, the princess had begun glowing in a faint silvery light while the hand she carried her bow with slowly began emitting a darker aura. As she remorsefully watched the carnage surrounding her, a long ear twitched at a sound most would not have an opportunity to hear. Her head snapped to the side, discovering its source and she gasped in terror. Elizabeth could not have registered what the sound was simply from revulsion of the truth until her eyes met with visual confirmation. A small child stood, crying as the battle raged all about her. She was planted in her spot, watching as many soldiers died right before her.

Even though blood splattered on the girl's face, she could not dare close her eyes, and Elizabeth's heart broke for her. The princess directed Tay'moraad to race toward the child, but froze right alongside the rest of the battle when an impossibly loud sound not unlike a landslide came from behind them. The entire battle paused for a moment to bear witness to something right out of a drunkard's ramblings.

A pig the size of a mansion just vaulted over the city's walls.

Well, almost. Mama Pig nearly cleared the jump, but there was definitely decent damage where she hadn't quite jumped high enough. But there she was, Boar Hat and all, barreling towards them even as the castle's gate began opening. Pandemonium broke out all around her as Hawk's mother continued running their way. Warriors of both sides parted to allow the gargantuan pig room as she stampeded through. Elizabeth turned back to where the child had been, but she was gone. The elven princess would never know that the child had been a mere illusion and devious trap—had she reached for the child, circumstances would have turned dire.

And the entity trying to break the seals cursed at yet another brilliant part of her plan being foiled thanks to the enormous pig carrying a pub on its back.

Mama Pig kept on running, stampeding right through the battle and into the woods. Everyone watched, utterly baffled at what had just occurred. Even the aura emanating from the princess had subsided in her own astonishment. What had happened to Hawk's mother?

The pause in the fighting did not last long, unfortunately. Only a mere second before many warriors tried to grab the upper hand. Elizabeth began searching frantically for the child, Tay'moraad's movements rigid; he could not grasp why she had become so distraught. The illusion had been her for eyes, and her eyes alone.

More than one Sin turned their gaze toward the edge of the forest at the sound of their captain's voice bellowing out: "Ban!"

At the sound of his name, Elizabeth turned her head upward to see the red clad Fox Sin in the peak of an astounding jump over the entire battlefield. With a face void of any guilt, Ban held Excalibur over his head as he began his descent. The knights of Camelot were filing through the city's drawbridge to join the fray, their brave king at their lead. A king well practiced in humility at the sound of the white haired miscreant calling out his name as the holy sword shot down from the sky right at his snowy mount's feet.

Then two things happened at once—along with the fighting, of course. Ban's punishment at the hands of his captain, and Arthur's retribution. Both were arguably of equal importance... So, as Ban angled his descent to land next to his long time friend and captain ended with Meliodas roundhouse kicking him right into the many waving swords of battle, Arthur took a deep breath and unsheathed his sword from the earth he was sworn to protect.

To the elven princess trained in the rudimentary knowledge of priesthood, it was as though she could hear the artifact sigh in relief as its chosen ward grasped its hilt. Once its steel was freed, a wave of power knocked everyone down, save Merlin (who knew such a flux of power was coming), Meliodas (who still stood there, smirking at Ban), and Elizabeth (who marveled at the beauty of the holy magic the sword wrought).

Such power robbed Elizabeth of all recollection of the deceitful illusion; such nefarious memories of an evil plot held no place in the wake of Excalibur. Such a gift of ignorance worked well for Meliodas too, for the princess would have never let him swoop down and steal her right off of Tay'moraad had she still been concerned for a toddler's safety. Her poor stag barely managed to catch the skull that had flown from her face with his antlers as the demon's speed carried her far from the battle.

In the warmth of her lover's arms, Elizabeth simply contented herself by wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling her cheek into his shoulder; after securing her bow, of course. Right at that point, he could carry her to the pits of hell and it would still be heaven.

^.~

It was somewhat curious as to why her knight had carried her so far away. She had no way of knowing how big of a headache something like Excalibur could give a demon like Meliodas when wielded properly by its chosen warrior. The seals were no doubt on the mend with humanity's king now in possession of the blade—he was sure that had been why Diane had sounded so worried before. Quite frankly, Meliodas had wondered when the they would come under attack, what with Lost's talk of fraying and Excalibur being MIA for a while. All those things he could conclude to with confidence.

That brief aura of light and shadow coming from the other half of his soul, however, he could not.

Meliodas had already seen Elizabeth make use of holy magic. A being that used one had no hope of the other—no matter their lineage. It was a fact of life, pure and simple. The two opposites canceled each other out, thus the ability to tap into one side made the other impossible to grasp. A miracle of such caliber would be on par with pigs sprouting wings.

...Probably even less likely, actually.

No, he'd already experienced his miracle. She'd said she loved him. There was not a single chance that he could expect another phenomenon in his lifetime, no matter how much longer it lasted. Thus therein was the question: How had he sensed both coming from her?

Meliodas had finally stopped on an elevated plateau covered with many multicolored flowers well nourished from lush ground and plenty of clouded sunlight. It was there that he finally allowed himself to sink into her eyes. A fellow could loose himself in eyes like hers. Not for the first time, he thought to himself that she'd been condemned as the Tay'daishar because the goddesses were jealous of her beauty. However, the thought was fleeting while he worried that somehow she'd begun the impossible and had risked the inevitable consequences of such an act. "Elizabeth, are you okay?"

Her forehead had been pressed against his temple when he craned his neck to stare into the infinity of her eyes, but his throat went dry when they were filled with remorse and regret. Regret was something of an old friend of his. "Sir, Sir Meliodas... I'm... I'm so sorry!"

Her voice was trembling and tears threatened to come soon. The blonde came up with many things he could do to distract those tears... but none of them seemed to be the proper way to approach the situation at the given time. So, concluding that his typical responses were... inadequate, Meliodas settled with gently helping her find her footing and pocketed his hands. Now, with his behavior officially in check, he tilted his head curiously and asked, "What for?"

"I..." Elizabeth hesitated.

The Sin Captain wasn't going to forget how often she chewed on that lip. If she wasn't careful there would be none left for him...

She continued after taking a deep breath. "When the fight broke out, I... I... I shot—"

"Elizabeth," Meliodas quickly enveloped the tiny fists she wrung in front of her chest with his battle-worn hands. He needed to act before she suffered the words he was sure she was about to say. "That was war. Everyone there knew that they might not make it back—they were all aware of the risks. You were protecting yourself." He gave her hands a gentle squeeze and stepped closer, "and me. Elizabeth—if you hadn't fought, then someone could have killed you and I would have been lost." Without even a single hesitation, the demon had managed to pour all of that out. He was hers, body and soul.

Sincerity oozed from his being and warmed Elizabeth from the chill that had left her spirit suffering, "Sir Meliodas..."

"Is it that so hard to believe, Izzy? Without you, there's no reason for me to go on."

"That's not true, Sir Meliodas! You mustn't stop simply because something happened to me! What if—"

The captain knew it was rude to cut her off so many times, but the things she kept trying to say just didn't need saying. "Then don't test it and keep fighting. Elizabeth..." The lovers' faces brushed against each other and Elizabeth could feel his lips move as he whispered something only for her ears. "If you disappear from my life, I'll have no reason to live... so please. Live for me."

And there she went again, being stingy with that lip. Elizabeth's ears wilted just a fraction before they perked back up and a smile hinted its arrival. "Aye Captain, that sounds wonderfu—" The princess yet again did not have the opportunity to finish for Meliodas could resist no longer. He lifted himself up to his toes and kissed her, motioning his lips to open hers while leading her hands to rest around his neck. He loved it when she called him captain and had his arms around her waist by the time their tongues mingled. Starved hands found their destination on supple elven rear while he reveled in her sweet taste. Meliodas' journey past her lips had only just begun when his princess pulled back with what sounded like a lustful sigh. Stubborn and needy as he was, however, he merely turned back to her in an effort to regain the kiss she'd so viciously stolen from him.

Such a predicable lecherous act from her beloved knight filled the air with feminine laughter, "Sir Meliodas! We must get back to our friends! The battle was not yet complete."

"Mmmmm..." Meliodas looked up at the sky, still holding her close. "Pretty sure the fight was finished once Excalibur made it to the front lines." He looked back to her with nothing but sin in his smirk, "we could probably stay out here for the rest of the night."

Elizabeth's eyes widened slowly as the realization sunk in that Meliodas had much more intimate things on his mind. Cheeks already dusted with pink matured to a deep rosy hue and she reasserted herself through stutters (Unfortunately. Goddesses but what this man did to her wits was pure, untainted evil!). "As a mem-menber of the Seven Deadly Sins, I-I fear I must insist that you— _eep!"_ The elf tried her best to ignore the groping he was subjecting her to, "that you do your duty and ensure all of your people's safety."

Meliodas' grin only broadened, "I love it when you act all regal."

^.~

Seeing stars was an understatement. Had it really been necessary for the captain to send him careening into an active battlefield like that? Somebody could get hurt! Just another reason why Ban the Undead was obviously more considerate than the good Capt.

And what was the deal with the light show? For some reason it felt like it was that damn sword's personal way of flipping him off. He'd given it back! Why the hell did the damn thing have to act like it had some sort of sentience anyway? It was a sword. It doesn't _get_ to have an opinion.

It was certain that Ban was missing an all inspiring speech from the king of Camelot as he slowly sat up from a pile of armored soldiers and pointy objects with a groan, but he really didn't care. Politics bored him, and at that current moment Arthur's handsome voice was rubbing him the wrong way. Where did the captain go? He had some pay back to administer to that guy. However, as he scanned the battle to see man and drow alike staring in befuddlement at the dumb sword's holy glow, there was another Sin that demanded his attention.

And by the look of humor mixing with impatience playing on the witch's face while she nudged him with that heeled boot of hers—Ban just wanted a drink and a pretty blonde fairy princess to ease his woes. See? Ban had a sensitive side too.

"Get up, Ban." Merlin's voice didn't seem to have any humor in it though. Geez, was he never going to get a break?

He had half a mind to just lay back down on top of the soldiers that were beginning to pull themselves up off the ground. "What the hell do you want? He's got the sword back, so unless you feel like wearing that fancy lil waitress costume Capt's got all nice and clean and offering me a mug of ale, just leave me alone and go play house with your pretty boy over there."

Merlin frowned down at him, which just so happened to curl Ban's smile back into place. She pressed her lips together before looking off into the distance. "I felt something rush past us while you were lolly-gagging only the goddesses know where. I had thought you might have been interested as to the destination, considering it is where your greatest treasure is tucked away."

Ban's eyebrow raised and his smile faltered as she continued, placing that well manicured hand on the hip she just loved showing off. "But if you're so eager to loaf around, I suppose I can assume nothing is amiss with the Lady of the Lake and go..." Her eyes fell back to him, expression... almost playful, except for the twinkle of malcontent lighting up her eyes, "...play house, was it?"

Bitch was trying to tell him Elaine was in danger? Goddesses damn that woman! Why the hell couldn't she just come out and say that?! Ban leapt to his feet and darted past her. He didn't get far though, for the irritating woman appeared right in front of him again with a roll of her eyes. She was lucky he had such good breaks or he would have run her over. Hell, from the look on her face he probably should have anyway.

"Men. Always thinking that their brute strength is the best way to travel."

Ban opened his mouth to spit something back at her that was less than friendly, but Merlin smirked and put a hand on his shoulder before he got a word of it out. Next thing he knew, he and Merlin were at the banks of Avalon, staring at serene waters.

Just as Ban had always suspected though, serenity could never really be trusted. If the waters were so damn peaceful, then why was his Meliodas original floating around in the water—reduced to nothing but over-sized splinters?

^.~

When King had lost consciousness, Diane had fought back terrified sobs and carried him to the place where she'd thought the Boar Hat would be. Though with the building missing, she'd settled for lying him down on Chastiefol. She'd hovered over him, holding his hand tightly in both of hers with legs tucked under her, willing his breathing grow more stable. She'd never seen King bend over in so much pain before. Something was horribly wrong! But when Gowther had enabled the Sins to converse telepathically—no one had seemed to care about what she'd said had happened.

 _Well she cared._

The giantess held his hand up to her heart as her eyes finally became moist. There had been a light so bright from the other side of the gate that she'd had to shield herself from it. That's why those pesky tears were finally winning.

Diane watched the fairy king's brows twitch as though he were having a bad dream. What could she possibly do? Through tightly gritted teeth she murmured, "King, I'm not sure what's going on, but you'd better not give up. We still need you."

Everything was so quiet. The only thing she could hear was Arthur's voice somewhere beyond the wall; so she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I still need you."

Salty drops began falling onto King's face as his vision slowly returned to him. Was he in heaven? The face of an angel was all he could see as sight refocused. His arm felt weak—but not so weak that he couldn't raise his arm up to the one true love of his life and wipe her tears away. His voice was soft, and void of the trembles they usually held while speaking to the woman that would forever take his breath away. "Please don't cry, Diane. You know I need you too."

The Sin of Envy's eyes widened at his sudden consciousness, "Oh King!" Without regard of how fragile he was at that moment, she pulled him to her in a huge embrace. At the Sloth Sin's yelp, she released him and stammered out, "Oh my gosh, King! I'm so sorry!"

There was too much blood racing to King's face, he was quickly becoming at risk of another nose bleed. Somehow he managed to demurely reply, "It's okay, Diane. After what just happened I—"

Another painful yelp spilled from him when he was thrust back onto the pillow by the weight of the giantess. Agony was its own reward though, for she was pressing her lips to his fiercely. King was so startled that all remnants of pain from attacked seals were dispersed temporarily. Diane was kissing him—in the light of day—in public! The two of them had maintained a secret relationship for quite some time now, but both of them were far too shy to let anyone know about it (the Fox Sin would have surely been incorrigible had he known...).

As always, the Serpent Sin's kiss was sublime. He tried to return her lip lock with as much fervor as she, but was no match for her while caught in the stupor Diane's newfound boldness had produced.

No matter how many times the buxom brunette pressed her breasts against him, it would always be too much for the fairy. He was squirming underneath her by the time she lifted from their kiss; King was altogether too far gone in a state of bliss to bother with little things like the jolt of pain that came with each follow up kiss she began to plant everywhere on his face. "Oh King!" A kiss to his cheek, "I was so scared!" A kiss to his nose and followed by his other cheek, "don't you ever—" Then a kiss between his brows, "do that to me again! You are the bravest man I know," Diane then planted her lips onto his again before finishing. "So why don't you try acting like it!" At this point, the giantess was straddling the fairy king and leaned over him. The pressure on his groin and the continuous motion of her plump chest against his nearly had him unable to register that it was his turn to speak.

But her glare would not let his stupor last, "I'm-I'm-I'm sssssorry Diane! I..." He felt the familiar aura of his captain coming in quick and squeaked, "Captain's coming!"

"Eek!" Diane jumped off of her secret lover, but stayed near him. She blushed as he slowly raised a leg to hide the arousal she'd undoubtedly given him just before Meliodas landed, holding Elizabeth bridal style.

The meddlesome blonde raised a brow at the flushed state of his comrades and spoke through a knowing smirk, "So I guess you two held up alright."

King was so tired. He tried to sit up, but his body would not let him. Without a word or much of a skipped beat, Diane helped support him so he could look upon Meliodas better. "Ca, Captain! The seals were attacked—I, I could barely hold on! I gotta check Excalibur!"

"The seals?" Elizabeth covered her mouth in horror, now standing next to her knight. "Veronica!"

Meliodas put a hand on her shoulder and granted her a light smile, trying to ease her concern. "I'm sure she managed to hold them, Elizabeth."

The princess nodded hesitantly.

"Yea!" Diane winked at her, "That queen of yours is too stubborn to let those things break just as soon as she starts to protect them!"

The four of them slowly many their way up Camelot's gate (ignoring the broken part was easy enough) to be greeted by Gowther, who readily reported that Guila and Jericho were safely tucked away as ordered. While he made his report, Elizabeth's eyes fell to the kingdom's ruler, still on the battle-strewn land. It appeared that he was wrapping up a speech worthy of the Siren Sin while his soldiers were placing heavy shackles on his brother, Sir Kay. The captured man was using the most vile language she'd ever heard to try and discredit Arthur as he was tugged past him to await judgment in a cell. While his glare was filled with hate and jealousy, Elizabeth noticed Arthur's deep, purple eyes were filled with tragedy.

 _Oh goddesses... no. Not to your own brother!_

The princess gripped her hands into fists and made what was possibly the most important decision she would ever make in the opinion of the lawful king. Elizabeth planted a hand onto the wall's rail and tossed her feet up, gracefully flipping over the gate to land lightly next to Arthur. The young king jumped at her sudden arrival, only to be startled nearly out of his golden armor as she was flanked by the Guinevere twins a split second later. Both of them still wore masks and held bow and arrow lowered, but at the ready. Lara snickered at Arthur's bafflement as Elizabeth called out to the soldiers carting Sir Kay away.

She made sure that she spoke with a clear, strong voice—it had to be to overpower Kay's proclamations of hate for his brother, the false king. "King Arthur of Camelot. I understand that Sir Kay has committed grievous crimes against your country, but as your ally and friend, I must humbly request you allow my people to take him into custody. This deviant is a member of a gathering known as the Alliance of Mists and the woodland elves must question him to better understand the motives of enemies attacking our borders." Elizabeth's eyes were as stern as she could possibly make them as she noted the relief Arthur tried to withhold from his. "Will you honor our alliance and allow us to see that this criminal is dealt with properly? I promise you, as a princess of Liones, that we will see justice is met."

Arthur's grateful hesitation would be noticed only by those who were expecting it, "Yes... yes of course, Princess Elizabeth. Your request is easily granted, and I thank you for your continued assistance to the well being of my kingdom."

Elizabeth nodded, releasing her mask of furiosity now that the king had complied readily. "The Drow King and Prince Hendrickson will think twice before sending such an army so far from home again."

From up on the castle wall, the four remaining Deadly Sins watched as the people of Camelot broke into a raucous cheer. The battle was won, and it was clear that the kingdom had made a lasting friendship with the mighty elven warriors of Liones. It was just the sort of morale boost the people needed; far better than ending with the sight of what had once been a loyal knight being hauled off as a traitor to await trial. Diane stared at Elizabeth, coyly sighing under the jubilance of the people and slowly wrapped her arms around one of King's. "Wow... do you think that maybe I could be able do something that wonderful and inspiring someday, King?"

As King rested his free hand over her arm and murmured that she always inspired him, Meliodas smiled down at the woman that never failed to amaze. Not only had she gained someone that might have valuable intel, but had spared the youthful king from condemning his own brother to death. His little Siren Sin and her silver tongue.

 _Sweet... candy tongue._

 _Goddesses I love it when she gets all regal like that._

* * *

 **BOOM! Chappie done—FINALLY. Tytytytyty so much for your patience! There was just so much to write! So many details I had to make damn sure I put in here... gaaaaah... after going over it like... NINE TIMES, I'm pretty damn sure there's nothing I am forgetting. We still have a journey in front of us my friends. Stay tuned! Dun forget to find me on facebook! All those family members that already found me are never going to believe I can make it as a writer if I don't get some friends on there! Lol**

 ***~.㇮5.~***

* * *

 _Because you guys are awesome!_

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*~.㇮6.~*

*Arthur, Elizabeth, Aral and Lara outside walls of Camelot*

Arthur: Princess Elizabeth, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without you, or your people *sends a polite nod to Lara* things would have turned out very different today.

Elizabeth: *blushes lightly, shyly brushing silver strands behind a long ear* Oh um, I'm sure the good men of Camelot would have managed just fine, had we not been here.

Arthur: *motions to object, but Lara sidesteps next to him and speaks first*

Lara: That's just the way she is, Kingie.

Arthur: *turns to speak again but is interrupted by other twin*

Aral: *laughs* Ha! Yes sir! That's our Izzy! Humble to a fault!

Arthur: *tries to interject yet another time, but instead stumbles forward when the grinning elf next to him slaps him on the back*

Lara: Soooo true! Don't worry Kingie, _we_ know how screwed you woulda been!

Arthur: *manages to say one thing before Aral* It's Arthur—

Aral: So screwed.

Lara: *grins with full set of pearly whites* Totally screwed...

Aral: Yup.

Lara: Yep!

Arthur: *waits to speak this time, when no one does, he begins* Yes, and I—

Aral: I'm starving! I think a feast might be in order!

Lara: Ohhh! *stars for eyes and hops eagerly* And desserts! Soooo many desserts!

Elizabeth: *sweatdrops and chuckles to herself at Arthur looking between the twins who keep talking back and forth about their mad skills and need for exotic human food* Perhaps the two of you should quiet down so the king could say something.

*Lara and Aral's silence was deafening, and Arthur suddenly felt put on the spot.*

Arthur: *awkward*

Elizabeth: *blinks with big round, curious eyes* ...your highness?

Arthur: *grows a small blush of his own and looks down at his feet* Nevermind... I um, forgot what I was saying. *tries to recover by standing up straight, scratching his head and saying* A feast sounds like a splendid idea! I'll make the arrangements!

*All three elves look on in surprise at his hasty retreat back through the gates*

Lara: *folds arms and rolls eyes* tch. ...Kings.

* * *

Just for you  
 _Seriphia  
_ aka  
 _Lick_

*~.㈏0.~*


	36. Scandalous Appetites

**Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER** **: I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **Guys, say a prayer for the raven's flight, for a little before the holidays he saw my husband's younger brother home. It's been pretty hard coping with the loss when it was mine and my husband's job to make sure his parents were able to rise out of bed everyday after losing him. Things have been very difficult since then, trying to go back to day to day grinds while coping with the loss of a loved one taken too soon.**

 **Here's to you, Anthony. You are missed. Everyday.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

* * *

Scandalous Appetites

Deep silver locks tumbled over pale shoulders as the guild mate behind the third princess of Liones toyed with her hair. For a moment Elizabeth had thought that perhaps she'd get to see Lara's awkward side when the maids (previously referred to as a flock of hens) descended upon her, all too happy to play dress up with another elf maiden; alas, the little nymph had just smiled and enjoyed the attentions. She seemed particularly excited about wearing traditional human formal wear.

However once the hens had finished helping Lara tie the corset, they had begun to flock about her. Elizabeth could have kissed the elf for how quickly she chased them off. One would think her bouncing would be at least a _little_ hindered by the bulky, periwinkle skirts of such a dress, but she seemed as agile as ever.

Being captive of a trusted guild mate was significantly more pleasant than having an entire gaggle fussing over her with every little thing, so Elizabeth bore the maiden's ministrations as she fiddled with her hair, humming softly.

Not long after the two of them stood in front of Elizabeth's room's grand mirror, Diane burst in—but stopped abruptly to oooh and ahh at the two of them.

Her envious nature was taking over quickly too for the woodland elves were stunning. Somehow, even in human garb, Lara looked exotic. That light blue laced in a darker sapphire shade with the occasional rhinestone brought a marvelous contrast to the visible skin between dress and aqua-green hair. Lara's hair had always been down, flowing freely. Her appearance had undergone metamorphosis all from a simple, neat ponytail set high on her head with long flowing cascades of thick, spiraling hair free to fall down her back and over one or both shoulders.

The Guinevere twin's beauty could not compare to the princess' natural glow though, and (as always) Diane could not abstain from feeling the tug of her sin's namesake. Elizabeth's hair glittered with tinsel-like strands Lara had hitched into her already lustrous locks. Such a small touch accented the silver trim of her white dress elegantly. No... with Elizabeth garbed in noble elven evening attire, elegant did quite fit its descriptive needs. Diane was at a loss, for the princess seemed almost ethereal. The gown was slim fitting and long, and colored so purely that freshly fallen snow paled in comparison. It was a bit risque for an elven garment, however, for the dress flaunted her bosom with a sweetheart cut instead of the traditional high collar. A single slit crept up to her left thigh that also showed the whole world how much lovelier her legs were than Diane's—and the beautiful siren mark on her calf seemed to taunt the serpent as well.

"Aww!" The giantess pouted, "you guys look so great! Wish I could have had my hair done..." She twined brunette strands around her finger as she gave them both another generous once over.

Lara winked at the giantess, "Your hair looks pretty great down, D! What with how you always keep it up in those two tails. Flaunt it girl! You're sizzlin!"

Diane blushed at the unforeseen compliment, but managed to beam past it nonetheless. "Okay! Well, what are we waiting for? There's a party to crash!" She grabbed the wrists of both elves and hauled them with her easily, both ladies squealing from surprise.

The green headed archer glanced at both Diane and Elizabeth, "Man, you're strong! You been drinking your milk or _what?!_ "

Elizabeth giggled and Diane smirked, "I'm the strongest of the Sins! I can beat any of them at arm wrestling!" She'd deliberately left out the minor detail that she'd never dared challenge her captain to a match.

Lara let that sink in as the Serpent Sin pulled them down winding hallways and finally into Camelot's main ballroom. Upon entering, Diane stopped short and stared into the room's grandeur. "Woooah..."

The woman's sudden speech impediment did not come without merit. It was a visual feast for the eyes. It seemed as though every color known to mankind shifted through the mix of people. The whole of Camelot must have crowded into the huge room in their best and brightest. While Elizabeth and Diane were visually exploring the plethora of colors and joviality, Lara's eyes narrowed. "Tch. It's like they haven't been burying their own all day."

With a gentle turn of her head, the princess laid a comforting hand on her comrade's shoulder. She'd seen how quick elves could be when condemning humans for their actions many, many times. "Don't be quick to judge, Lara. Is this not so different than the celebration of life our people hold for the fallen? This is a revelry to honor the lives lost, of the victory those lives were spent to regain that honor. The king has Excalibur again, and his traitorous brother is locked away. With battles hovering over us in the future, one must appreciate life when one can."

She could tell Lara's face display many emotions before she finally let out a subdued, "Aye Izzy, you're right."

"Damn right, she's right!"

The three girls jumped at the tenor suddenly impeding on their conversation. Aral stood next to Diane with a soft, amused smile on his face, holding three goblets. He had his hair neatly pulled back in a low ponytail and wore a suit—a suit! It appeared to be made out of fine black fabric too. With a charming smile, he offered his princess one of the cups, "You guys clean up nice."

"Oh yea!" Diane squeaked delightfully, snatching up another of his goblets and downing it in one go.

While Elizabeth took a content sip of hers, Lara smirked at her brother and stole away his final goblet in one fluid motion—promoting a disappointed "aww" from the now drinkless man—as she said: "You're not so bad yourself, bro."

A quick swallow emptied Lara's cup, and as she lowered it she made a quick scan of the tables covered with food that lined the walls. Her body tensed and she grabbed Elizabeth's wrist with glee, her other arm slinging the empty goblet back at her brother's chest, "Lookit all the cake! Izzy! _Cake!"_ Aral fumbled to catch the cup as Lara pulled Elizabeth, Elizabeth consequentially pulling Diane as well, through the crowd to arrive at the heavenly table decked with sweets.

It was there that Elizabeth witnessed both Diane and Lara transform from demure ladies into sugar craved fiends. Both of them swiftly piled plates high with pastries and other tooth-rotting goodies that they did not typically have a chance to indulge. Diane even handed Elizabeth a slice of dark brown cake, "Try this, Elizabeth! The chefs here in Camelot make the _best_ rum cake in the world!"

"Oh!" The princess took the offering politely and eyed the plate. It smelled positively delightful, and before she knew it, she was trying many things just like the other two—only in a far more ladylike manner.

"Goddesses! Try this, Izzy!" Lara suddenly tossed a piece of chocolate at her, but with both hands taken with plate and fork, it took some quick thinking to manage to catch it in her mouth. Once teeth bit into chocolate, her mouth was flooded with a syrupy sweet apple ale that nearly made her toes numb. Elizabeth hummed her delight and set her plate down.

"Thirsty Izzy?" Aral had returned with more drinks! Wonderful! Elizabeth happily took one and drank deep. She was surprised to notice that it was her captain's own Bernia ale. She glanced at her fellow guild mate smiling, "I know! Guess the king let the Boar Hat supply the drink. They've got a lot of selection, but after _careful_ taste testing, this one's still the best!" Aral seemed slightly inebriated, odd since he usually tended to keep a close eye on his sister's carefree attitude.

Elizabeth giggled, rather rosy cheeked herself, "I suppose that's why we have not seen Sir Hawk. He must be excited to have gotten the extra income from catering such a grand celebration." After contently downing her second cup, Elizabeth's eyes widened in worry, "Oh my! Perhaps he needs help!"

"Nah." Diane said with a mouth still half full, "Gowther was picked to help. Probably 'cuz the guy's too boring to enjoy parties. The pig's fine, but WE are under strict orders from the captain to enjoy ourselves," she winked at her with a smug smirk, "and that's what we're gonna do!"

"Aye!" the Guinevere twins raised a glass to that.

Between the liquor infused treats, and the drinks Aral was feeding her, Elizabeth quickly realized that her mind was becoming clouded at an alarming rate. Carefully, she set down the new mug Aral had handed her. Where were the others anyway?

A low whistle coming from Lara answered her question. Elizabeth glanced at her curiously, then followed her gaze to see Arthur, Meliodas, and King all standing at the top of a five stepped entryway. As others began to notice their arrival, the people of Camelot began to clap and cheer, but the sad glaze of the king's eyes caught Elizabeth off guard. Her head tilted and ears drooped as she studied Arthur. He was trying very hard to nod and smile to his people's cheers, but Elizabeth could tell easily—something was wrong.

Her very favorite thing about the king of Camelot was his innocent, violet eyes that were always filled with wonder. Why were they shrouded in such grief this evening...?

"...Elizabeth?" Diane frowned at her change in stance. "What's wrong?"

It was too much. There had already been so much loss this day. Elizabeth felt it was her responsibility to ensure the king that this was a day of victory, not tragedy. Of many people in this world, Elizabeth truly believed that Arthur was likely one of the best and did not deserve sorrow. Somewhere along her journey, she'd become in awe of how this king wore his crown, and this day, of all days, he had earned the right to celebrate along with the rest of his kingdom. So, with liquid courage fueling her steps, the third princess of Liones lifted the slim skirt of her dress and sprinted up the steps, diving directly into the king's surprised arms. A blush tinted his cheeks instantaneously and his people ooh'ed and awed. Her actions were starting up many undesirable rumors as the Sins and the archers stared at the two blankly.

Elizabeth clung to him tightly, attempting to ignore the awkwardness of the golden armor he wore. She didn't know what was wrong, but the Siren Sin whispered, "Everything's going to be alright, King Arthur. Please, your friends are here for you, do not let yourself fall into a veil of doubt."

^.~

The King of the Faeries gaped at his long time friend's actions. Exactly how drunk was she to do something so incredulous in front of the entire kingdom? He could already smell the love stories folk would be starting from this debacle. From his vantage point of floating slightly higher than his captain, he easily noticed Meliodas' fist clenching when Elizabeth began whispering to Arthur. That can't be good. It was obvious that his captain was obsessed with the silver haired beauty in the arms of another—and he wasn't called the Sin of Wrath for nothing.

He had faith in Meliodas though, so all he did was put a calming hand on his shoulder. Surely by now he knew how emphatic such a being as the princess was, and sighed with relief when Meliodas' muscles relaxed under his hand. Both of them watched as Arthur tried to defuse the situation by meekly offering the princess a dance and led them away. Perhaps a dance was just what the king needed.

His feet lowered to the ground to stand next to his captain as his memory returned to the tragedy just moments before. The very thing that was probably keeping Meliodas from stealing the princess back from the king.

 _Looking back on it, King regretted having gone down to the dungeons. He understood why they'd had to though. Arthur was a caring soul, and had missed his brother greatly. Meliodas and himself accompanied him for support, they knew the visit would not be pleasant._

 _But none of them had thought the visit would be so short lived._

 _The moment Arthur had asked the guards to leave them, Sir Kay had begun chuckling. "Figures you'd get someone to fish out that damn sword. Just know,_ little brother _, that you never would have beat us if it hadn't been for that fuckin thing. There are things in motion here that you cannot even begin to imagine."_

 _King could tell it was difficult for Arthur to respond. He watched quietly beside Meliodas as the king cleared his throat and took a step closer to the captive's cell, "Please, brother, I don't understand why we can't make amends. By the laws of this land, I have to try you as a traitor... but I need you to know, it brings me no joy."_

" _Heh. There ain't gonna be nuthin to feel 'joy' about pretty soon, boy. Laugh it up while you can cuz—"_

 _Then the most peculiar thing happened. King's brows furrowed as Kay's eyes widened so wide he could have sworn he'd seen a ghost. His taunting tongue had abandoned him, and the fairy turned to see that at first glance it looked as though he was staring at Meliodas. His captain stared back at him, blinking innocently with arms folded in the sudden silence. Arthur looked between the two of them in befuddlement._

" _No, no no no! No my lady, I wasn't going to tell them anything! I swear I wasn't, I—" Kay's voice gagged and he began to claw at his throat._

 _Arthur leapt into action, "Kay? KAY!" Frantically, he turned back to the entrance, "Thordin! The key! Unlock the cell! My brother!"_

 _Shuffling was heard from beyond the corridor and Arthur threw himself at the bars, "Kay! Just hang on!" He pulled at the cell's door to no avail as he watched the life drain from his brother's eyes. Meliodas stepped to the side as the guard ran to cell's lock, shoving the key into the door and flinging it open as fast as he could._

King shivered at the memory of Arthur reaching his brother just as soon as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head to catch his limp body. He dared not imagine how he would have felt if he'd had to watch his sister die... Of course Elizabeth saw the pain Arthur was trying to hide so desperately.

"Hellooooooo! Earth to King!"

"Huh. Guess whatever he's thinkin' about is more important than the way you look in that dress, Diane." King roused when he felt the captain shrug, "Guess I could dance with ya."

The fairy registered too late Diane's giddy gasp, "Really, Captain! Oh wow! I've never gotten to dance with _you_ before!"

And that is the story of how King was left standing—all by his lonesome—with his jaw hanging out.

 _The End_

Just kidding! That would be a Ban move, not something from your lovable Lick! But seriously, he was rather sad that he'd so abruptly turned into the third leg. The awkwardness was strong with that one; King certainly felt loneliness' tug as he drifted to the hors d'oeuvres table.

It was there that he met up with the other two elves, Aral and Lara Guinevere. Typical to the true elven archer, their bows were securely looped onto their back despite their change in attire. No telling where their arrows were... a blush crept onto his face as he watched Lara lean against the table, eyeing the dancers as he imagined where she might have stashed said ammunition.

"Hiya Harlequin," the young tenor voice of Aral sung out, making King jump. There had been far too many times Aral had snuck up on him in the woodlands for him to have done it accidentally here amidst the sea of people. He spun around to see the archer looking at him sideways as he held two cups. "See something you like, your highness?"

"No no!" King sputtered, "it's not what you think! I was just, uhhhh..."

A knowing smile crossed the elf's face as he offered him a goblet. "Here, looks like you need this more than my drinky drinky sister."

King took the offering and hastily buried his heated cheeks into its depths. He mumbled his thanks, but didn't really care if the twin heard him or not.

...Only to jump again when he was tag teamed (or at least that's how it felt to him) by Lara suddenly talking right at his ear. "Hey! Why is the Dragon Sin dancing with Diane? Isn't she supposed to be your wife or sumthin?"

"W-w-w-w-wife?" King hardly made out the word, "I-I-I-I...!"

Lara leaned over to look at her brother, past the baffled fairy king and winked at him, "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin?"

"Heheheh," Aral grinned, "sounds like a blast!"

^.~

Arthur was not a very gifted dancer. Elizabeth found herself guiding his steps more than the other way around. A ridiculous way to dance by elf standards, but just as her sisters, she was trained in several human customs that didn't make much sense. Dancing was meant to be fluid and free, not trained.

Nonetheless, Elizabeth was more concerned with the king's silence. Sure, she was distracting him, but her efforts were not healing his pain. With no idea what was bothering him, she had no idea of where to start. Though, as their dance continued, she was beginning to have a much more pressing issue.

In her intoxicated state, the room was beginning to swim. _I wish I could capture the shade of King Arthur's eyes to better paint the retreating dusk as the sun rises..._

The melody composed of mostly stringed instruments slowed to a stop, and so did the pair. Elizabeth leaned heavily against the king, feeling as though they were still moving while Arthur fretted over her lack of balance.

"El, Elizabeth...? Are you alright, m'lady?"

"Oh, um," Elizabeth started, "I'm fine..."

Another song, one with a more upbeat tune began and Arthur began to advise the princess go take a seat, but a flash of sea green had him glancing between two beautiful elven maidens. With much celerity, Lara had removed Elizabeth's hands from his shoulders and placed them on her own. Then she winked at him before dancing away with his partner, "Geez, don't hog the only princess all to yourself, Kingie!"

Arthur gaped at the sight of Elizabeth simply giggling as Lara danced her away with light feet. The glorious sight was ripped from him however when the other archer slapped him on the back. "She's alright, Majesty, just a touch of vertigo. Izzy's in good hands." Then he did the same thing he'd been doing all night and offered a full goblet out to Arthur with his pointed ears lifted intuitively, "drink?"

"It's Arthur..." Arthur entreated demurely, taking the cup while recapturing the sight of the pair of ladies continuing their dance. "Why does she keep calling me 'Kingie?' "

Aral frowned and handed the other drink to the king after watching him quickly down the first. Then, slowly guiding him out of the other dancers' way, he began with: "Well, Highness, we have a saying in our country and it goes a little something like this: enigma is a woman."

^.~

Meliodas could have kissed Aral for how brotherly he treated Arthur as he led him off the dance floor. Even without any idea of what had happened a few stories down, the man still knew that something was not sitting well with Arthur and kept his typical shenanigans to himself. That was one thing he had to give Elizabeth's entire guild credit for; every single one of them seemed caring and considerate. At least Ban hadn't seen Elizabeth and Arthur dance. He was none too sure he'd be able to get his love out of the hole the Fox Sin's teasings would have no doubt had her crawling to. No, he wanted _needed_ Elizabeth confident and ready for him tonight.

Now. How to ditch Diane?

Apparently, she was rather excited to have been asked for a dance with him. Sort of made him feel bad, actually. He'd only mentioned the dance to try and get King's hand off his shoulder. At the time, he'd been concocting a plan to make Arthur stumble in _just_ the right way so that a beautiful (and from the looks of it—drunk) princess might be forced to fall into the arms of a dragon that just _happened_ to be passing by. And if those hands just _happened_ to latch onto those breasts sculpted by the goddesses themselves, well... that just couldn't have been helped now could it? Meliodas' hands twitched at the thought.

Diane, her hip being underneath that hand, squeaked in surprise.

"Hmm?" Meliodas looked up at her, innocently enough.

"Ca-Captain!" It was never good when a giantess looked at him with narrowed eyes like she was giving him now. "Just what sorta game are you playing at here?"

Images of Diane squishing Ban to a crimson pulp flashed through his mind, "Oh nothing, just wondering when you turned into such a good dancer." Redirection usually worked great.

Diane beamed and, without warning, placed him into a constricting hug that placed his face right between her breasts; his expression turned blank. "Oh captain! You are SO SWEET to have noticed! I AM a good dancer—THE BEST—in fact." The outburst had caused quite a few people to look their way, and the Serpent Sin grew flushed, quickly setting her captain back down. "Ah hah hah... sorry about that, Captain."

Meliodas set his hands on his hips and gave her a confident half smile, "S'all right, Diane. You have every reason to be proud." As though he didn't already know where his comrade was, the Sin of Wrath's round, innocent eyes glanced to the side. "Hey, don'tcha think King may have had enough to drink? I see a whole lot of empty cups over there."

It was true. There were many, many goblets set on the table behind where King hovered, forlornly taking another sip, completely unaware of the two sets of eyes now on him. What Meliodas failed to mention was that Aral had started a steady collection of goblets right there and by no means were they all emptied by the fairy. Diane sighed much like a mother hen, "Oh King." She twirled a finger around a bit of hair as a soft smile filled the space between her cheeks. "He went through a lot today. I should go see if he's still feeling alright." One step, two steps before she turned back to Meliodas, concerned. "Are you gonna be alright without the best dancer in the kingdom, Captain?"

"Oh..." The blonde's eyes drifted and zeroed in on the two elven maidens dancing together, causing a small scene of their own. "I think I'll manage."

^.~

Being stolen away from Arthur had turned into one of the best moments in Elizabeth's evening. Lara always seemed to have that effect. Now with a much more graceful partner, the two of them had come up with their own blending of the human choreographed way of dancing and their own preferred version of bonfire dancing. An exhilaration that gifted the inebriated woman with a second wind. Some of her favorite memories from home was as an apprentice archer, learning the many crucial ways one can always be light and sure of foot. Every night that the guild would gather there were dances around the fire. Apprentices enjoyed showing the rest of the guild what they had managed to master via bonfire dancing. Being an archer was so much more than being able to loose an arrow. Something many archers outside of their guild seemed to never grasp.

The room was no longer spinning, now that she had ceased trying to emulate Arthur's dance. Now she was free to simply enjoy herself with another of her own, and her current level of intoxication took on the more familiar form of hyperactivity. If she settled down, she would undoubtedly become exhausted and wish for the night's end—but she hadn't even shared a dance with Meliodas yet... so the latter was certainly not going to happen anytime soon.

Elizabeth commended Lara's bravery. She was far too shy to dance as extravagantly as the younger elf with her. It wasn't necessarily _good_ dancing, but it had its own brand of complicity. Something that usually skated by unnoticed because of the flamboyant, goofy faces Lara would make for the sole purpose of spreading laughter. That was the thing about the female heir to the Guinevere house. She didn't give a damn about what others thought of her; all she needed was for those who she cared for to have a good time.

It was probably why she stole her away from Arthur. Someone who had undergone the same training as she surely could have seen the way she'd been struggling. Now the two were giggling like trainees, and the princess was completely unaware of the space the crowd had cleared for them. It was a rare treat for the people of Camelot to witness the grace of an elven archer outside of wielding a bow.

And she certainly did not notice the blonde made famous for his anger management descending on her with lascivious intent.

The girls' little improv of Camelot's ballroom dancing ended with Lara dipping Elizabeth. The silverette made a giddy squeal and her partner grinned and wiggled her brows in a way that forced even more giggles from Elizabeth. "Got her all warmed up for ya!"

"Wha-what?" Elizabeth asked when Lara smirked at her—and dropped her. "Eep!"

The fall didn't last long, for she found herself in very familiar, warm arms. She looked over her shoulder and heard her favorite voice saying, "Well, hiya!"

Her vision took a moment to catch up with her other senses, but that meddlesome blush was already well in place. "Sir, Sir Meliodas!"

One of his hands was quickly slipping below her back as he shifted to the front of the still dipped princess. His face was so close that all she made out was the brilliance of his green eyes. "There ya go again, fallin' right into my arms. Ya know, you're pretty lucky I'm a good catch."

With a heart beating as fast as Elizabeth's, it would have been impossible to swallow all the red masking her face had it not been for all the practice this man had given her. The liquid courage brewing within her certainly did its part to help as well. A touch of nostalgia had her lips spreading in a loving smile as a hand rose to caress his cheek, "Just like the day we met."

The knight hummed his delight at her hand's light touch, savoring it, before pulling her back up to her feet with a cocky grin. The room was spinning again for Elizabeth, and she squeaked with a fresh batch of candy apple cheeks when Meliodas latched both hands to the thin fabric covering her rear. "Nah, this is better, cuz I get to do stuff to ya now."

"Ah! Sir Meliodas!"

"Mmmmmm..."

Elizabeth fidgeted under his hands—now massaging her in ways that shouldn't, by no means, be done in such a public setting. There was a pressure between her legs that was quickly becoming intolerable too, not to mention the embarrassment of the possibility of so many people watching them: simply unbearable. A long ear twitched at several different voices as Meliodas held their bodies close.

"Who is that dancing with the king?"

"Wait, wasn't that the elf leading the archers in the city's defense?"

"Ugh! No way! I was going to try and dance with King Arthur!"

"I thought it was Sir Gowther that helped the archers."

"She's so beautiful!"

"Princess Elizabeth is going to be mad!"

"Elizabeth." The voice of her lover returned her to her current predicament, made far worse by his lifting up on his toes to whisper in her ear. "Didja want ta dance?"

Either her imagination was running wild, or her captain was becoming just as excited as she was. A sudden recollection of the night they'd spent together sent her mind reeling—but there was not a single other thing she could think of at that moment. "Aye..." Her hands trembled on his shoulders when he squeezed their torsos together after her simple response. Elizabeth huffed and bit her lower lip briefly before adding, "b-b-b-but... we, we ne-need a more... a more private sssssssetting...!"

Without even the slightest hesitation, the Dragon Sin released all but her hand and began pulling her through the crowd. Some couples squawked indignantly and Elizabeth tried to murmur apologizes, but her partner did not stop. It only took a few moments for him to reach one of the many corridors that led deeper into the castle. Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle at how fast he had them scurrying down the dark hall. This ancient demon certainly had a gift at making her feel like a youth.

Her laughter was short lived though, for just as it began, her knight slung her around and halted her flush against the wall. All Elizabeth could see was the glint in her lover's eyes and the silhouette of his mussed hair. His voice was low as warm breath danced over her lips, "What's so funny, Izzy?"

Remember that little thing called air? How come there wasn't any for her all of a sudden? His body was pressing against hers, and there was a concern over how much longer her breasts would stay within the dress as she fought for a response. "N-n-nothing! Not a thi-thing, Sir Meliodas...!"

He leaned in just close enough to allow his lips to brush against hers, "Call me captain."

Elizabeth pressed her legs together and groaned out pleadingly, "Aye captain."

Her head was immediately thrust up to the ceiling, for the blonde's teeth went right for her neck. As his teeth scraped against acutely sensitive skin, a strong hand planted itself onto the inside of her knee and made a steady journey upward. Silk bunched as his hand slid, and his teeth found enough merit to inhale luscious elven skin into a longing mouth that cherished it with its tongue. Elizabeth bit her cheek to keep from more than a light moan as he continued to press her against the wall. With legs squeezed as tightly together as they were, she could feel his hand on both of her thighs and she let out an involuntary shudder.

After a lingering taste of his princess, Meliodas released her neck to drag his tongue up to her ear and whisper, "...Izzy."

Elizabeth trembled under such a voice and turned to capture his lips, bringing the Dragon Sin to dig his empty hand into her hair and submerge his tongue deep into her mouth. They moaned together, drinking the other in as though it was the only remedy to starvation. The Dragon Sin could hardly contain himself as his lower hand finally found merit to the warmth his princess typically hoarded all for herself and growled his need past her lips right at the same time Elizabeth's keen ear twitched at the horrifying sound of people coming from around the corridor.

Her partner and lover was too far gone at this point to have noticed anything short of the squeak she let out; begrudgingly returning him to the realm of hunger and pain tinted with a blue hue. Far more quickly than the elf's previously lust-filled eyes should have allowed, she slipped from his grasp. A whimper ebbed from deep in Meliodas' throat when he was suddenly facing nothing but an unforgiving and extremely unappealing stone wall.

Only half a second felt like an eternity for the impatient, lecherous captain whose hands were taken by the Siren Sin and pulled further down the hall at a run. She was giggling and goading him forward with her.

Who was he to refuse?

Realizing her halt in their endeavors was from a need for more privacy, Meliodas returned her smile with a much more sinister replication and followed her. Eagerly.

However, as they continued down the hall that would eventually lead them to stairs, things began to become distorted to the demon's trained sight. Should he have ever been interrogated about the feeling, Meliodas would have been grasping at straws to explain it. Their immediate surroundings seemed to... tilt, and the aura took a rapid decline into—shadow? The columns no longer looked substantial enough to hold the intricately decorated ceiling either. Something was wrong, and if they continued on this path...

From his lover's steady gait, she hadn't noticed. Could be a good thing, he supposed. Concerned for whatever danger Elizabeth might be in from the unexplained phenomenon, the blonde made a change in plans and pulled his lady into a wide hall he and all the knights of Camelot knew very well. If there was any room protected from whatever magics were at work here, that was surely the one place it would not be able to reach.

"Eep!" Elizabeth squeaked when he turned her down the wide hall that led to the innermost room of the castle's bottom floor. The conference room of the king himself, complete with its newly rounded table. "Sir-Sir Meliodas!"

Was it really only him noticing anything awry? It felt as though their entire surroundings was succumbing to shadow. The knight was sure his love was more than capable of noticing the shift. Had his drink been drugged?

No. In his many years he'd never wilted to any sort of mind altering solution that wasn't voluntary. Something was after them. Or her.

Well they couldn't have her. Elizabeth was his. As they reached the double doors, Meliodas flung them open and released his love within its confines and urgently shut the door behind them. Hardly hearing his princess' giddy laughter, he entered full protect mode and began going around the room's perimeter. Merlin had wards protecting other wards placed all around this room to keep unwanted eyes and ears from her precious king's meetings. All distortions he'd experienced in the halls ceased even before he'd locked the doors but that wasn't good enough—not for the safety of the mate he'd waited centuries for.

His mind was sorting out all possible ways such wards could be bent and possibly beaten as he paced the room's wall... at least until a sweet voice made his mind go blank with its gentle song.

"Oh Meliodas..."

And just like that, Meliodas was reminded to have faith in the wards of his fellow Sin. Elizabeth was the only thing that mattered, and that is exactly how it would be for the rest of his life—and everything and anything that might come after that life was spent.

Much to the Dragon Sin's glee, the princess had cast everything to the wind. All pretenses of modesty stripped bare, save that delicious, candy-colored rouge on her cheeks. In rare form, she was using the weapons the goddesses gave her in hopes to (for once) gain the upper hand on the demon she'd fallen in love with. No one could ever say she wasn't flexible. She'd meant to bring him to her room with a plush bed, but he'd brought her here, and the large round table seemed more than perfect in her current state of arousal and inebriation.

Meliodas had stopped, possibly struck blind, deaf, and dumb at the sight of her sitting on the middle of the Round Table with the white silk dress belling around such a slim form. One luscious leg peeked out from the dress' slit—taunting the demon frozen with an overload of lecherous thoughts.

The silverette's head tilted as Meliodas just... continued to stare. A thrill began ebbing up her spine as she thought that perhaps she'd finally, _finally_ gained the upper hand. She should say something... something... alluring. "Umm, Sir Meliodas...? I, umm..." And not for the first time, she wondered begrudgingly as to why Merlin would name her 'Siren Sin' when words escaped her so easily.

And just who would Meliodas be if he couldn't tease the young elf in her stutterings? Feeling more than just randy, the blonde slipped eager hands into his pockets and carefully took the two, four, six steps it took to reach the table's edge. "Whatcha doin, Izzy?"

With those few words, Elizabeth's entire body turned the shade of red satin sheets. She must look ridiculous, trying to lure him onto the table with her! Sitting there leaning against her arms while slightly arching her back to the side, trying to jut her breasts out nonchalantly in the attempt to get him to look at her? She didn't know how to be sexy! How could she? In the middle of her self doubt, she fully sat up, turned her head and nervously bit into that bottom lip of hers.

However, she didn't look away for long, because as soon as that lip touched her teeth, Meliodas crawled onto the table and first planted a hand onto her exposed ankle. It was a wonder Elizabeth's hair didn't backlash her with how fast she whipped her head back around. All the princess managed was a mangled squeak when the demon used his free hand to casually lift up the thin dress' hem.

"Looks like punishment time." He commented out loud as he simply ducked down and the made quick journey to what he'd tried to play with in the hall.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she felt his nose press right against her core. Her face already felt too hot to have grown hotter when his voice was felt all over both thighs. "Hummm, those don't look like any of the pairs we picked out."

Her jaw grew slack as Meliodas' finger brushed against sensitive skin. He didn't much care for her wearing panties that he hadn't bought her, so he felt no remorse looping his finger through it and making a clean tear. Besides. He happened to know Elizabeth had many options when it came to replacing them.

Just... not now.

She didn't need undies right now.

With Elizabeth's treasure revealed to him, a grin pulled onto his face as he slowly curled both his arms around her thighs. Those legs were currently trying to squish him and he couldn't be more happy about being in their way. His mate's breathing was coming out in rasps already, and he hadn't even begun.

"S-s-s-s-s-s-s-sir Mel-MeliodaAAAHH!" Such a lovely symphony for just the light kiss he planted on her. This little tent he'd crawled into was beginning to grow humid, so Meliodas tried to please her more by gently licking the special skin exposed for no one but little ole' him.

Elizabeth gazed up at the ceiling, watching colors swirl before her eyes, painting a portrait of the pleasure he ignited. Without being able to quite rationalize _why_ , she called out the only thing that might allow her to regain her wits, " _Lollipop!"_

Meliodas' tongue halted in the middle of its second conquest and the silverette trembled from its warmth. After a brief moment of fabric wrestling, her lover's head popped out from her skirt and crawled over her on all fours as Elizabeth retreated to lean on her elbows. Once their faces were a mere finger width apart, Meliodas spoke matter-of-factly. "We never agreed to a safety word this time, that doesn't count."

"Sa-sa-saaafety word...?"

"Mmmhmm."

His confidence had a slight pout to it that would have been difficult to notice had he not been so close. Elizabeth found it incredibly endearing—and more importantly—gained the couple breaths she needed to once again try to win the upper hand with her relentless captain. Without giving herself time to think too much, the Siren Sin took her lover's cheeks in her hands and pulled him down to her for a hungry kiss. Sir Meliodas couldn't have possibly expected that right?

Right?

Perhaps not expected (especially after the stunt she pulled with an expired password), but certainly not refused. Without even the slightest hesitation, he pressed against her, his chest flush with hers. The two moaned together and his thigh pressed against her core—making the lady's voice far louder than his. Meliodas made quick work with his appendages, digging one deeply into silver strands as the other slipped right under her dress to grasp nothing but breast. Elizabeth gaped while his tongue took charge, brushing against hers sensually. It felt like her entire body was set aflame, and her captain was urging it on.

Well this certainly backfired, now didn't it?

Meliodas was invading all her senses, most of all taste and touch. Why had she felt that she'd needed to gain control! Once again she was putty in his hands. Those, beautiful, merciful... hungry hands—and she didn't care. Elizabeth silently promised herself she wouldn't try to stop him again, at least, not tonight.

Pale arms slid from his cheeks to wrap around the Dragon Sin's strong neck and she began to fight for his love the only way she could think to at that moment. Elizabeth aggressively tangled her tongue with his, meshing their lips together tightly. Meliodas' arousal was already overwhelming him, but he relished it. Allowing his princess' relentless exploration of his mouth, he liberated his fingers from her hair and traveled south. Once his hand reached her hip, he took a fist of white silk and began pulling her dress up.

Once he'd collected enough of the dress for Elizabeth to feel the slight breeze, her dominance retired to favor a fresh blush. Her head rolled back but Meliodas continued to shower her neck with kisses. His world consisted of her heavy breathing as he finally lifted his knee from between elven legs to complete his handful of skirt. Just the thought of Elizabeth's lower half bared for him drove him wild. Instincts took over then and he quickly lifted to his knees, straddling her to wrangle his belt off.

With quick maneuvering, Meliodas was able to dispose of his lower clothing without losing his place above the silverette. However, when their eyes met again, he was surprised to see his shy princess sitting up; Her face suffocating with just as much lust as his own. Soft fingers reached out for his shoulders, first slipping off his blazer. Both simply allowed it to tumble behind him as Elizabeth then reached for the bottom of his shirt and began to lift. Meliodas hadn't thought his heart could beat any faster, but the brazen actions of Elizabeth removing his clothing had accomplished the impossible. A moan ebbed past his throat as those delicate fingers ghosted over his chest and soon over the top of his head. Meliodas quickly freed the unwanted garment from blocking his vision, for he was not even willing to blink. No, the sight of Elizabeth hungry for him was far too intoxicating for him to spare even a fraction of a second.

A loss of breathing came next, for amid the princess' stained cheeks, she then reached for the bottom of her wadded up dress as well. The Dragon Sin's demonic pupils slitted at the sight of his lover's breasts bouncing free and he sprung into action. Elizabeth's yelp was rejuvenating as the dragon locked her arms crossing above her head firmly in place. With one of his hands holding her wrists behind the base of her neck, he quickly forced her flush onto the table again with his remaining hand latching onto one voluptuous mound, his lips and tongue taking hold of as much as he could fit of the other.

Elizabeth cried out in surprise, for not only had he knocked the breath out of her in a way that was _unbelievably_ pleasurable, but also from the length of his manhood knocking at her door. A door that was already wide open for him despite the dainty way her bent legs clung to his sides. She struggled with the dress still covering her face, eliciting a pleased growl from the beast on top of her as the tip of him began sliding in. Her mouth fell slack and suddenly his claw left her breast to finish pulling her dress over her head, now just another thing to assist him binding her wrists.

Meliodas' mouth was agape as well, staring into her eyes. He breathed in huffs and held his hips as still as he possibly could. "Elizabeth..."

Her heart warmed and froze all at once as she again listened to him pronounce his undying love for her. She sighed and gently brought a hand to his cheek, "Oh Meliodas..." The rising blush at such intimacy could not be helped. "I love you too." Elizabeth cried out again as he sighed, leaning in more, filling her, "Ahhhh!" Legs wrapped around his torso, trapping him inside and as he aimed to kiss her, she shied away to recapture his eyes—mesmerizing, snake-like eyes. "Not-not just right now, but, but... for always. I um..."

Meliodas smiled and tried to again taste her lips but she gasped at his motions and dodged him, for a final attempt to get what she wanted to say out. The words spilled out far too fast, lest she shy away from saying it. "I wouldn't deny your proposal if you asked."

The blonde looked up at her sharply at that, his eyes focusing back to that befitting a human.

Elizabeth felt awkward at the sudden silence and one of her legs slid from his back down to interlock with his closest leg, "I'm not sure that I ever would have... to be honest."

A familiar mischievous twinkle shone in the demon's green eyes and he smirked before once again going for her lips. A mouth that needed no prodding as they moaned together, for even with his princess holding him tightly, he could no longer withhold moving within her. Being sure to keep her tongue near his, Meliodas pulled his hips back to thrust into her again, this time with more force. Behind closed eyes they both could see the sparks of pleasure as he continued his efforts. Never again would he ever feel so complete. No, through this woman, he had found salvation, and he would make sure he would pay back such kindness ten fold.

His mission was to please her, as he pumped in and out, but the quest was quickly gaining on him. Meliodas drank in every groan, whimper and moan she released and when her nails began to dig into his back, he feared he might be done for. With senses fully immersed in the touch, taste, smell and feel of her—he realized he would have to sacrifice one; thus the Dragon Sin relinquished her lips, gritting his teeth lest be finished before he once again got to hear the delicious chorus his siren sung when at her peak.

Elizabeth was moaning out his name, clinging to him with all four appendages, he had to do something, but every time he moved it brought him closer and closer to his release. Never before had he been so desperate to please a lover, but this wasn't just any lover-this was Elizabeth. He'd known she was his ever since he'd first spoken with the small silver-haired princess clinging to her father's side, nervous of the new comer visiting with Harlequin. How could he not cherish every moment with such a woman? Of course he would make sure to drive her to ecstasy every time she gifted him with her company. And body. This train of thought, again admitting to himself that he was at last making love to his soulmate was _not_ helping him maintain his stamina.

Getting to know a new lover's dos and don'ts was one of the best parts of a relationship. A part that they would never again be able to enjoy once it was over. So, assessing that perhaps Elizabeth had liked it when he'd acted aggressive, Meliodas abruptly moved a hand to grab at a poor breast that had received no groping earlier. He was not gentle. He latched on and pressed into it, squeezing repetitively to the rhythm his hips had already set. Meliodas did not dare do much more, but his love had not reached the proper pitch in her groans. Insisting he persevered, he tried kicking it up a notch by setting his other hand to anchor itself on her rear. This gave him the leverage needed to bend over her.

Mistake… the sight of the one and only love of his life so completely exposed and… bouncy… he quickly leaned back to her, placing a hot tongue onto her tender side. From there, as he drilled particularly hard into her (with a rather loud groan of his own), he dragged his tongue upwards, between both succulent, Elizabethan mountains. The salty-sweet taste must be where all legends begin and end.

Suddenly, right as his nose was buried in heaven, and his manhood buried deep within her, the princess' cries grew an octave higher and her back arched without warning. A demonic groan rivaled that of hers once he finally felt fully submerged in her fluids. Her eyes stared blankly even after her voice died down, and with fingers nearly numb with pleasure, Meliodas recaptured her lips in effort of prolonging her release. It was the happy sigh of their meshed mouths she made that triggered his demise. Her captain released everything he'd been holding and she moaned with him, their voices a true testament to the truest love they planned to share forever.

As their kiss slowed, and sweat cooled, Elizabeth huffed out a few remaining words while Meliodas buried his head in the bridge of her neck. "So where will our true honeymoon be, Captain?"

Meliodas practically purred at Elizabeth cooing his title so intimately and shook a head he was unwilling to lift. "First I gotta propose."

A soft smile grazed the elven archer's lips as she lazily twirled a finger around blonde locks, "And just when will that be…?"

Silence answered her for a lingering moment before he responded in kind. "When I am finally worthy of you."

^.~

Nervous eyes lingered on the commanding woman standing in the shadows near the corridor the servant had been set to stand, ready to help any other servant or patron that may appear to need it. He knew full well that this woman was not to be trifled with. "But-but... m'lady—what you ask is so... so... old fashioned."

"I don't recall _asking_ at all. Now you do this right, for it is not often I will get to play the part of fairy godmother, so I expect you to do exactly what you have been told," the woman made sure to sound out her final word clearly, " _perfectly."_

Eager to please the legendary Lady Merlin (he'd heard of those who'd incurred her wrath... or rather, no one had ever heard OF them again...), the servant cleared his throat and cried out her announcement with as steady of a voice as he could muster.

"The Lady Elaine, sister to King Harlequin and princess of all fae kind, escorted by Bandit Ban. Ladies and gentlemen, announcing tonight's special guests!"

* * *

 **Damn you guys are awesome! I love to lick ALL ure faces, but in lieu of the giNORMOUS chappie—quite frankly, it would take another hour (maybe more) to dish out ure personal lickins. AND I might just wait to do it TOMORROW and yea... shit might not get done for yet ANOTHER week. SO I LICK ALL URE FACES IN ONE BIG COMMUNITY LICK!**

 ***LICK***

 **Mad shout out to Stormie~bae for proofing this monster for me. That too would have taken me way longer, and you guys have waited long enough. THANKU STORMIE~BAE! Review her fic guys! She deserves ALLLLL THE LOVE!**

 **Your support really does mean the world to me! And dun worry! I didn't forget that your love and support has bought you a little sumthin extra.**

* * *

Hawk: *rushes into the kitchens, glancing back and forth frantically until he spots Gowther, silently doing as directed by the sous chef* There you are! Gowther! We're in some real trouble!

Gowther: *looks down at the pig, holding a tray of delicacies, blankly* Oh. Hello Sir Pig. Was there something else you required?

Hawk: Required? MORE LIKE NEED! *begins to quiver in apprehension* Didn't cha HEAR that? BAN JUST GOT HERE! I thought he wasn't coming!

Gowther: tilts head, still holding tray* The liquor served is free to patrons. Your consideration that such a being as Ban not arriving to partake was neglecting proper thought.

Hawk: *annoyed tick* Oh that's rich, comin' from you. Now just get off your ass and get us more booze! Arthur's gonna have to pay overtime for this kinda swill!

Gowther: Sir Pig. *blinks in blank confusion* I am already standing. Assuming by ass, you mean buttocks, that is.

Hawk: Huh?

Gowther: And I am neither on my buttocks or a donkey, so I am left unclear as to what you mean.

Hawk: *huffs* It means GO GET MORE BOOZE!

Gowther: Very well. Once I have delivered this tray, I shall head back to the captain's dwelling and retrieve more for you.

Hawk: No time! Put that down! *as Gowther just looks back at him in a blank stare again, piggy stomps foot impatiently* Don't you GET it!? This is the first time the Lady of the Lake has been able to leave Avalon in a LOOOONG time! You want her to have to deal with a lush like Ban when low on ale?!

*Hawk stops, looking around the kitchen where chefs and servants alike have dropped whatever they might have been carrying and staring right to them* Uhhhh...

Gowther: *sets down tray and adjusts glasses, also looking about room* Perhaps there was a reason the Lady Merlin did not have the Lady Elaine announced as a being of ancient myth? Hmm... curious. I wonder if this is the sort of thing that others might call: spilling the beans?

Hawk: Spilling the beans? *hiccups out an eep*

Gowther: If I remember correctly, that may be one of the several reasons the Lady Merlin uses to confiscate new guinea pigs to assist with her research.

Hawk: meep...

* * *

All for you  
 _Seriphia  
_ aka  
 _Lick_

*~.㈑1.~*


	37. Unexpected Guests

**Rated M  
** **M is for MATURE, people.  
** **If I can pretend to be, then you can too!**

 **DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING! *sob***

 **NOTE: You guys are so amazing, allowing me to take all the time I need. Seriously, ever since Anthony passed, it's like writing became so unimportant... almost like making time for it seemed selfish. But it's been over a year now, and life is getting back on track... x.x slowly. My A student is working hard to return to being an A student, and adulting has gotten a tad easier. So I figured, if I could just START writing something again—ANYTHIING—then maybe I could pull myself back out of this funk. (hence the sporadic Nalu Wonderland chapters from time to time).**

 **I think it's working...?**

 **Anyway, I'm super excited about this chapter here, and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did. Here's hoping the next chapter will be less than a month away. ((Goddesses, I've got to relieve my Zombie Nalu fans of that crazy cliffhanger I dropped them on... SORRY GUYS! T.T))**

 **This chappie is dedicated to my fellow Double LSD members,  
** **Luv, Dom, and Stormie-bae.  
** ㈵6 **Your constant support and counseling has been astronomical!㈵6**

* * *

Unexpected Guests

 _Moments before the unexpected announcement..._

The Fairy King's eyebrow twitched when Aral came back to the table he floated near to deposit two more empty goblets. As he lifted his own mug of Bernia ale back to his lips his eyes followed the elf as he wandered off to continue only the Goddesses knew shenanigans. He was sure those twins were up to something, what with Lara dragging an apprehensive Arthur off to the dance floor under her brother's watchful eye. As King's beloved drink slipped down his throat, he sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. It had been such a long day... perhaps he should just let the ale lull him to sleep. Rest always helped him keep a clear head. Clarity was good.

The thought of it certainly was tempting. The more he thought over it, the idea of lifting his eyelids became less and less possible.

" _BOO!"_

The voice directly in his ear was, without a doubt, the love of his life. Even so, it surprised him to no end and he gagged on the ale he'd been enjoying, coughing in a futile effort to regain composure. He was, at least, able to stay afloat—albeit ungracefully—causing the Sin of Envy a laughing fit. "Di-Di-Diane!"

"Ha ha! You should see your face!" She chortled, slowly toning down her mirth into a small, closed mouth grin. With silky, brunette strands hanging down, Diane's hair framed her bosom to perfection and try as he might, King could not help but lower his gaze and stare. The Sin of Envy blushed under his eyes, and eventually retreated a step to jar him back to her face. Noticing his cheeks were much more red than hers, she giggled. "So whatcha doin' here all by yourself?"

King chewed on his tongue and began to stammer before he'd thought of anything to say. "I just figured, well I thought... but then I—er..." He managed to stop when Diane began giggling at him and cleared his throat. There was just too much to say. How odd that he couldn't come up with a single word of it. The Fairy King wanted so badly to make their relationship official... exclusive. But he feared that if he asked her to be his, and his alone, she would dismiss him as—ugh—needy.

And quite frankly, he was. But how in the world could he tell _her_ that without coming off as greedy as Ban?

"Wow. Sooooo..." Diane side stepped next to him and placed her hands behind her back, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "Lara has some nice moves..."

"Oh! Umm... yeah..." King blushed and looked down at his tie, pretending to wipe away a smudge that wasn't there.

"...Betcha there's only a few dancers out here that could get the gawkers to stop oogling them..."

King sweatdropped. What was she talking about? Lara seemed to be thriving out there with all those eyes on her.  
 _Why in the world would she—huh? Oh crap! Now Diane's rocking on her heels! That means she wants something! Shit! She's starting to frown at me! Wha, wha, what do I do? Did I do something wrong?_

The Fairy King was starting to sweat. Over complicating things too much, it not once occurred to him that all she wanted was for him to ask her to dance. He gulped, tugged at his tie, and nearly summoned Chastifol because right about that moment... he needed its added security.

As if his throat wasn't too dry already, it practically felt like sand when a crier from a second story stairway called out, "The Lady Elaine, sister to King Harlequin and princess of all fae kind, escorted by Bandit Ban. Ladies and gentlemen, announcing tonight's special guests!"

^.~

At some point, over the many centuries of solitude, reclusive had become a way of life for Elaine. It had happened so gradually, that she never even realized how socially awkward she'd become until right then, facing hundreds of strangers in strange garb—staring at her with... bewilderment? Usually her attentive nature would have noticed when the knight beside her snorted under his breath at being introduced simply as Bandit Ban, but not with so many eyes locked right on her. Were they really so baffled by her arrival? Why? Was there something on her face?

Was... was she not welcome?

All of a sudden it was like she was back underwater, drowning, betrayed by the very waters she was charged to protect. She couldn't breath! Without realizing it, her trembling arms clung around one of Ban's tightly and her chest heaved in a struggle for air. Elaine willed herself to fade back into the waters, but no longer possessed the ability to do so. There was no escape!

A large and familiar hand reached to rest over her hand, and it was like a flood of oxygen flooded back into her lungs. Elaine looked up to see her love, her hero, her liberator, slightly leaning over her eyeing the crowd and whispering, "This party looks kinda lame, Lamb chop. Wanna go somewhere else?"

^.~

The dance between King Arthur and Lady Guinevere paused when the king ungracefully stepped onto the elf's new human-style slipper, surprised at the unforeseen announcement. Only by Lara's overwhelming curiosity was she able to keep her yelp internal. The guy was wearing heavy golden armor! That shit hurt! Mind over matter, however, and hearing that the woman of legend, the very keeper of what had been the Fountain of Youth coming here of all places—well, her mind wasn't on her aching foot for long. Both king and lady stood there, mid dance step, frozen, staring like all the rest of the party-goers.

^.~

This was too much. The Fairy King's sacred weapon manifested deep within his arms and he hugged its fluffiness in all its glory. _How could she be here?_ His mind swam for an answer as his body drifted involuntarily towards his sister. She looked absolutely stunning in the pink dress she wore. Its style replicated an out-dated, traditional fae dress women would wear back when the two of them were children. The knee length dress belled out to resemble a water lily and was bordered in royal purple. King's voice hitched in awe, for she was the spitting image of their mother, rest her soul.

His heart beat painfully fast, in near panic when he got a closer look at her face. Was she turning blue? At the same moment she turned up to look at Ban, King called out, "...Elaine?"

His sister's head whipped back and zeroed in on him, the crowd naturally fanning out around the Sin of Sloth. He could already hear murmurs working through the crowd whispering of how this was, perhaps, the embodiment of Lady of the Lake herself. King cared for none of it though, for he was blessed with the sight of his sister granting him a genuine smile. And that... was a sight he feared he might never see again.

Such radiance demanded reciprocation, and he gave it as best he could. The Fairy King floated higher, and barely had his arms open before his sister crashed into him in the biggest embrace he wouldn't have ever imagined he deserved. The entire kingdom gave witness to the princess returning to her king and brother, and cheered, blessedly giving Elaine the cover she needed as she cried happy tears onto his suit. Even with eyes that continued to stare blankly with astonishment, King wrapped an arm around her shoulders and cradled her head with the other in the hopes of consoling her. He couldn't imagine how she must be feeling, but at that moment, he simply thanked the powers that be for his sister's love. Even after their conversation at the lake, it was something he was sure he'd lost forever.

After holding her closely for several moments, King finally risked one simple word. "Ho-how?"

Through sniffs, and muffled by his jacket, Elaine flailed out. "He did it, Harlequin." Goddesses, but it was refreshing to hear her voice in his ears again. No longer was her voice only able to echo through the lifewater residing within his blood. "He actually did it. It was scary at first... oh goddesses, I was so scared, but he did it!"

King frowned, focusing his gaze down at the Fox Sin staring back up at the two of them. His displeased posture did not compare to the dissatisfaction that had just budded in King's heart. Whatever had scared Elaine, was no doubt due to Ban's actions.

^.~

Merlin stepped up beside Ban with a soft smile that would, without question, nurture his souring mood. "Now exactly which fairy tale was it, that had the princess running into the arms of her brother's, instead of her lover's?"

Slipping hands into the pockets of the red suit this mage had so kindly concocted for his girl's debut, the Fox Sin opted for silence. He sure could use one of those servants that served out drinks right about now...

"It's a simple matter of karma, really." Merlin continued, "Arthur should have had his sword days ago." The woman was egging him on, swirling the red wine within a chalice she manifested all nonchalantly.

She would have been correct to think he wouldn't stay quiet for long. "That's rich, comin' from you." Ban grimaced, finally glancing away from the fairies floating above. As the music picked back up, and the festivities continued, the Sin of Greed added, "Don't think I didn't notice that you and that bitch have beef."

" _Viviane_ ," Merlin emphasized with discontentment, "is back in her rightful place and that is all that needs concern you."

"What concerns me is why you had _my_ Lamb chop out in the deepest parts of that damn lake in the first place." A small snarl grew with a glint of canine catching the light as Ban continued in a menacing drawl. "First you leave that damn dagger with her like she's no better than your own personal squire, _then you go and send her on an errand that damn near gets her killed."_

"What almost got Elaine killed was the return of an entity the world believed long dead." Merlin's voice managed to stay steady, even though what she said cut more deeply than she would ever let on. "Any idea as to why one of the goddesses finally returned to Avalon after abandoning her responsibilities so long ago?"

Not really surprised that the sorceress evaded his question by asking another, Ban just shook his head and walked down the stairs to flag down some ale. If Merlin wanted to dodge around the issue, fine. All that mattered was the breathtaking woman drifting above a sea of mortals, still speaking with her brother. Elaine was alive and well, and free at last.

^.~

Eventually, Elaine managed to collect herself enough to allow King to guide her to a table Diane had procured for them. Shooting the shrunken giantess a grateful nod for her foresight, he offered his sister a seat. The blonde fairy stared at the intricate chair for a moment before sitting down next to the brunette she was barely acquainted with. Nodding to her awkwardly she greeted her with, "Diane right?"

The Serpent Sin returned her smile with a nod, "Mmhmm!"

King raised a brow at his love's closemouthed response as he drifted to the only other chair there, across from Diane. He could tell Diane was trying to hold back a barrage of questions after seeing how upset her sister was earlier. As he lowered to his seat, he grunted in surprise to find a red clad leg already hanging over it. Right at that moment, his sister yelped as long fingers wrapped around her ankle and tugged her under the table, leaving Diane staring blankly. "What the?"

Grimace already planted firmly on his face, King grabbed Ban's leg from his chair and yanked him out from under the table, inevitably dragging Elaine with him—caught red handed with his tongue dangerously close to his sister's rosy face. He was about to give the Fox Sin an earful, but Diane beat him to it.

"Eeeeek!" She squealed, the quickly traded mortification in for fury. "What the hell were you doing under there?!"

Ban snickered, sitting up with a pop to his neck, and a very pleasant and surprised bundle of Elaine on his lap. "What are you talkin' 'bout," he slurred, never looking away from his princess. "I've been here the whole time."

Diane puffed out her cheeks, slamming her hands on the table and leaning forward to better see the rascal on the floor. "No you weren't! You wondered off!" King knew he should be cultivating a Ban shish kabob, but Diane's new fearsome stance just made the blessed cleavage she possessed entirely too easy to stare at. He was suddenly a victim of circumstance.

Ban finally looked up at Diane, with a smile so overloaded with mischief that it made her twitch. "Wandered off? Or just tipped over? Ya know, if you're gonna make a living as a knight ya really oughta be more attuned of your surroundings." The Fox Sin laughed out, obviously well past drunk.

As Diane tensed up in a low growl, Ban started laughing. He loved it when he got other members of his merry band all wound up. Elaine, however, looked up at the brunette's anger, and turned back to Ban with a rather irksome frown of her own. "Oh stop it Ban!" This caught both Diane and King's attention, diffusing their personal predicaments to whip there gaze down at her as she went on. "We all know you're not as drunk as you're making yourself out to be, so stop acting the lush!"

Both Diane and King stared blankly, perhaps even completely discombobulated when the Sin of Greed immediately silenced to look back at the tiny woman glaring at him. He hunkered down to touch noses with her and murmured lowly, "Aww come on, Lamb chop... I'm only playing with'em..."

With a fresh blush accenting her cheeks, she replied coyly, "But... Merlin said we were special guests... we should... um... try to behave ourselves..."

King's jaw was already hanging open, and Diane's followed when Ban responded after a brief silence. "Hmm. Alright Lamb chop."

The two continued to stare, unbelieving, as Ban moved out from under the tiny blonde to stand, offering her a hand up with a dashing set of canines. "Guess we're gonna have to dance then, eh Lamb chop?"

Elaine flushed anew and rested slim fingers onto the Fox Sin's large hand, increasing the curl to his lips. Diane and King continued to stare, slack-jawed, as he led the princess (floating in what seemed to be pure happiness) deeper into the ball room.

…...

….

"Did that just...?" King started.

"So Ban just—" Diane responded.

"But he never..."

"How did she—?"

King chewed on his cheek, becoming bothered for several different reasons at once. Awkwardly glancing at Diane, he began to spill out his invitation, "Maybe we should..."

Quick to turn to the fairy that was pointedly avoiding eye contact, Diane agreed. "Of course! To... to... keep an eye on them of course!"

"Of course!" King stammered back unsure about offering Diane his hand. How come Ban was able to be so suave about that? For that matter—how dare he be so savvy when it comes to his sister!

His paused in his offense, and to Diane it just appeared to be classic King hesitation. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist, pulling him with her to the edge of the other dancers. Poor King was hardly able to will Chastifol away before she placed his other hand on her hip and began leading them through the dance floor. All he could do was pray that his nose stay plugged while he held on tight.

^.~

Perhaps inviting Elaine to dance should have taken more thought. What was the world coming to when a guy couldn't even get his gal to himself during a party? He should have known that getting his groove on with a dame that never even touched the ground would be a beacon for all the curious ooglers out there. First uninvited guest was the elf chick.

Too soon into their dance, before he could even sneak a kiss in, a bouncy Lara led her dance partner into their vicinity. Arthur must have felt really out of place as she called out to them every time she caught sight of Elaine's face.

"Hey!" "Elaine right?" "Is it true," "that you're the," "Lady of the Lake?"  
"How come," "you're here," with that guy?"  
"Don'tcha," "know that," "there's a," "bonafide," "Kingie," "right here?"

As if what she'd already managed to get out didn't wasn't enough to have both Elaine and Arthur blushing like school girls, somehow the chick even managed to get the king to dip her. Seriously, how does a girl control when she gets dipped? Arthur must have been thinking the same thing, for he gasped in an effort to keep her off the ground as her head went down right between Ban and Elaine. With a bright smile pointed at Elaine that only soured Ban's attitude (again. This night had certainly put the Sin of Greed through an emotional roller coaster. ...HA!), she grinned, "Wanna trade? The guy your with poured mud all over the entry room after all. Can't have a princess get the sorta reputation that comes with consorting with someone like him on my conscience!"  
That mischievous twinkle in Lara's eye was gonna get her killed someday...

"But... Lady Guinevere?" Arthur started, unsure of himself as he began straightening her back out. "Weren't you in cahoots with—"

"Not important, Kingie," Lara interrupted contentedly, patting his shoulder. Arthur was blushing wildly at that point, completely unable to make rhyme or reason out of the girl in his arms. As Lara seemed to emit pure joy, she concluded with a quick, "catch ya later Ban!"

 _Take your time..._ the Fox Sin rolled his eyes, already baking up a fresh way to relieve his love's mind from whatever stresses Lara probably burdened her with. He was very disgruntled that even as Arthur and Lara whirled away, Elaine's eyes still watched them with the innocence of a wide eyed child.

May as well just wing it, hmm?

Snaking a hand down her back, pausing right where the delicious lower slopes began, he drawled into her ear. "Lamb chop... getting a little lonely over here," Stingy to a fault. There was simply no other way to successfully enjoy life.

Finally turning back to the knight's smoldering gaze, Elaine was about to apologize for ignoring him—at least until she swallowed said speech upon noticing the winning smirk on his face. His undead heart slacked when she giggled, rolling her eyes in good humor. Her arms were slung tightly around his neck, and with the new position of one of his paws, the thought of him being lonely was utterly preposterous. "Oh Ban..." She couldn't help it. A tear leaked past her eye as she began to stammer, "I'm, I'm just so happy..."

"Just you wait til later..." The Fox Sin purred, stroking her cheek with the back of his finger. Keeping their bodies firmly flushed, he slowly licked her tear away and hummed his delight. The greedy man then tilted his lips to hers for a taste of fresher waters.

^.~

King was in trouble. He couldn't focus on anything while Diane had him focusing on everything! Goddesses but she felt so _warm!_

 _No!  
_ He'd spent too many centuries skipping out of being the dutiful elder brother. He must persevere!

Diane, on the other hand, desperate for a distraction, watched over his sister like a hawk. She'd known King since... since forever and she knew exactly how heavy his heart was from the guilt he suffered, unable to have been there when Elaine needed of him most. Besides. What better way to help her now than to save her from herself? Elaine and her were like sisters after all, it was her duty!

Suddenly she stopped dead, mid-pivot. Her face felt hotter than one of Ban's ghost peppers.  
 _What. The. Fuck?! Like sisters? Like—King and I are..._

Diane's abrupt time-out was King's yelp, bumming directly into the shrunken giantess' flushed face.

"Ack!" They both cried together.

A nervous twitch consumed the fairy as they stared wide-eyed at each other. This was it! Should he kiss her now for all to see? Would that finally make them exclusive and allow him to skip right over the talk? His nose started to leak as he thought of the other things she might let him do if such a half baked scheme actually worked.

The sight of King bleeding pulled Diane out of her stupor, concerned for him. "King? Is it hot in here? Should we get you some fresh—" Her gaze suddenly shifted from him to over his shoulder. "Oh hell no! Not _my_ sister!"

Those words would register in the fairy king later. King's gaze followed Diane's to the terrible sight of Ban being way too indecent with his sister. Hell, they weren't even dancing anymore! That dirty bandit was trying to _seduce_ his sister right here in the middle of the party? _Who does that?_

Nuh uh. Not on King's watch.

She'd wanted to go back to being his little sister, right? Weeeellll, he'd be the best damn brother in the realm—no—the world! Then, as if by some telepathic connection, Diane growled into his ear, "I'll take the oaf, you get Elaine."

Goddesses how could this beautiful Sin be any more perfect?

^.~

War tactics of a dried up old man continued deep into the night and the prince of drows had grown weary of it long ago. His father wanted none of his input and he'd been sure to make that perfectly clear from the very start. All he desired of Hendrickson was to stand there as their people's champion and remain there.

So he stood. Watching his father's generals study a floor enchanted with a bird's eye view of the known realms. At least while he was here, he could listen in and be better prepared to plan around the mess of things his father kept making for him. One of the elder elves was pointing out a valley where they might surprise the young woman preemptively dubbed 'Battle Queen' while other old prunes argued about such a valley being a trap laid out on a silver platter.

How dull.

These men had zero ambition. They just kept repeating the same war games their fathers before them played, furthering a useless cycle. Drows begrudged the woods for their precious forests and sought to take it from them. Not even one of them had the capacity to comprehend that he'd already had their ultimate mission all wrapped up in a neat little bow... before they ruined his meticulously crafted plans by pointlessly attacking the capitol.

Useless.

The new wood queen would never complete the marriage treaty now. The thought brought the same glower to the prince's face that it always did. None of these so-called wisemen believed in the Tay'daishar, but—to be fair—they did not have the sort of contacts he had. No. while these old men continued their chain of failures again and again, Hendrickson had made real discoveries. Humans, Fae, Woods... they thought themselves so special. The true paladins of light with their seals capable of withering the Demon King to dust. How could they not see that it was all just paving the way for his ultimate glory? All the pieces were at last put together now that Viviane was free (a detail he felt no need to divulge to his father's war council). All he needed now was the key.

His eyes lowered to the floor and focused on an owl soaring across the human king's castle, lit bright in celebration of their valiant victory. That Dragon Sin must be feeling pretty good about his ragtag team of misfits right about now. Humph. Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. How droll. If what the writs claim is true true, and the Goddesses really did create all life, then humanity must have been their greatest failure. Just a hive of creatures frittering away their short, meaningless lives... just bothersome parasites plaguing _his_ world.

Mild curiosity struck him when the continuous drawl of his father's voice stopped short in a mangled gasp. Raising his gaze, his lips curled in the barest hint of a smile meant for his father alone. Murmurs rose to calls of distress, quickly silenced by the appearance of a magnificent woman behind the king. Her manifestation was marvelous. No smoke, no flash, not even a sound. This benevolent specimen was above such theatrics. Just a few blinks, and she was there. By just simply holding a delicate hand raised, she willed the Drow King's neck to collapse in on itself. Soon he would stop grasping for that last, pitiful breath. Nothing but a harsh whisper was required after snatching everyone's voice. "I have had enough of this man. You fools should have deposed him the moment his son rose to champion. This kingdom has fallen far in my absence."

* * *

 **I know it's been FOREVER ago, but I'm pretty sure most of ure lickins were thru pm's. I'm going to continue to try a more, hehe, personal approach. ㈎9**

 **So much love! Here's the extra dialogue such love inspired!**

* * *

*Hawk waits while Aral fills glasses for himself, Lara, and Arthur from dessert table*

*The group of four deadpan (right along side of everyone else) as their gazes follow King crying out something incoherent, swooping up Elaine and flying right out balcony—never looking back*

*group grows varying sizes of sweatdrops as they lower their eyes to see Diane pointing at Ban, stringing out profanities and challenging him to a fight*

*group still watching as Ban scratches head, wondering, _what the hell_ man? Never once paying Diane any mind as he stares out balcony King just flew*

Arthur: *winces when Diane yells in frustration, tackling Ban from behind*

*Crash, bang, screech, shuffle*

Lara: *gives Aral a sidelong glance while the two sins begin waging all out war in Arthur's ballroom* I thought you were keeping her filled up with anger management...

Arthur: *looks to Aral*

Aral: *takes offense* I thought you were doing that!

Arthur: *looks to Lara*

Lara: Me? No! Remember? I was on king patrol!

Arthur: "Looks to Aral*

Aral: *sarcastic* Well great job! You just let the guy just fly out the window!

Arthur: *looks to Lara*

Lara: *scoffs* Not King! Kingie!

Arthur: Uh... it's Arthur...?

Aral: Damnit Sis! I was talking about King! *sighs, folding arms* Welp, I guess we all know who's fault this is...

Lara: *annoyed tick* No _way_ is this my fault!

Aral: It is! How were we not on the same page? Diane was _with_ King, and you were supposed to be feeding King! Ergo, you should have been feeding Diane too!

Arthur: *sweatdrop*

Hawk: How come nobody was feeding me? All this talk is making me hungry...

Aral: *ducks to avoid chair flinging through air*

Arthur: *Hangs head down* Merlin warned me about parties and Sins...

* * *

 **All for you, my lovelies  
** **Be awesome to each other**

 **Seriphia  
** **aka  
** **Lick**

 ***~.㈵9.~***


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